Yukichi Amano, who died on Oct. 20 at the age of 80, was a true critic. Though his field of expertise was advertising, he used his weekly CM Tenkizu (TV Commercial Weather Chart) columns in the Asahi Shimbun to comment on popular culture in general, and frequently provided other media outlets with his personal take on social trends.

But unlike most Japanese writers who forge livings as hyōronka (critics), he never made pronouncements. His style was more avuncular than professorial: flip, sardonic, but never cynical. His job was to dig out the pebble of truth that public language paved over.

The first interview I ever did for publication was with Amano, in the cramped, cluttered office of Kokoku Hihyo (Advertising Review), the magazine he founded in 1979. Though I had my own theories about Japanese advertising, especially its emphasis on brand recognition, I didn't understand the logic behind certain campaigns, and was confounded by the over-use of certain talent, which didn't jibe with what I thought was effective promotion. If a company's aim was to distinguish its brand from the next company's, why should it hire the same actor to appear in its TV commercials? I mentioned Kyoko Koizumi, who at the time was appearing in 10 campaigns, all for different products.