Japanese taxis aren’t exactly cheap, but the one pictured above is truly expensive:

NAGOYA — 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.

Any of you Nagoya readers out there seen this baby driving through town?