Show Business: Honshu's James Dean

Buck teeth, a flat nose, eyes like two razor slits, mousy ears and a fuzzy, black Jerry Lewis haircut. That is Japan's 28-year-old Yujiro Ishihara, the adored symbol of Japanese youth, and easily the most popular movie star in the nation that produces more movies than any other country in the world.

Yujiro is a Japanese giant—5 ft. 10 in., 152 Ibs.—who has starred in 57 films, and is universally known as Yu-Chan. Yu-Chan is an idol in more than the usual sense. To some degree, he is almost a religious figure. He always...

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