"He is Noboru Ando, and he was the head of Ando-gumi (Yakuza). You can find him easily if you look him up. He became an actor after he made the clan disband, and I used to listen to his song 'Otoko ga shinde yuku toki ni (When a Man Goes Dying)' (you can still listen to it now) frequently at that time. 'Shikishima' is a pillow word for Yamato. The song begins with the female chorus singing 'Shikishima no Yamato onoko no yuku michi wa... (The path that the man of Yamato takes...)' and is followed by Noboru Ando's monologue in a deep voice.
I copied his portrait borrowed from Toei (a movie company) and added contrast in a way that made it difficult to recognize. It turned out very well.
Finally, the book was finished, and the photographs ended up on the cover.
Noboru Ando lived in Meguro-ku at that time, and I sent him two copies of Shikishima and three letters that I wrote. Obviously, he did not respond, but since he did not send them back, I assumed that he had received them."
- Tamiko Nishimura, from her text message on June 7, 2024. Translated by Yuya Kawata.