A taxi firm here is celebrating its 50th anniversary in lavish style — by operating a taxi that has been painted gold from top to bottom.

Fuji Taxi Group began operating the luxurious-looking golden taxi on Thursday. Officials said the car’s plush paint job cost hundreds of thousands of yen.

“We want to make this a famous taxi symbolizing good luck and the attainment of a perfect match in a way comparable to Nagoya’s famous golden shachihoko (a mythical animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp),” said Fuji Taxi Group President Kazuo Ohara.

The first passenger in the taxi was former WBC bantamweight boxing champion Yasuei Yakushiji, who opened a boxing gym in Nagoya in April.

“When my gym reaches its 50th anniversary, I want to have a match wearing gold gloves and pants,” Yakushiji said.

By Sun Tzu on 27-05-2007