A deep-pocketed restaurateur shelled out nearly $750,000 for a tuna at Japan’s Tsukiji fish market on Thursday, smashing the record price for a single bluefin.

The 269-kilogramme fish stood at an eye-popping 56.49 million yen ($736,500) when the hammer came down in the first auction of the year.

The figure dwarfs the previous high of 32.49 million yen paid at last year’s inaugural auction at Tsukiji, a huge working market in Tokyo.

A Japanese department store is offering anyone with a quarter of a million dollars a lucky dip bag stuffed with expensive jewellery to ring in the New Year.

One lucky customer prepared to hand over a numerically significant 20.12 million yen ($259,000) can celebrate the turn of the year with a fistful of precious baubles.

The “fukubukuro” (lucky bag) — a feature of the New Year in Japan, one of the country’s most important holidays — will go on sale on January 2.

French luxury macaron brand Ladurée has announced the launch of a color cosmetics range called Les Merveilleuses de Laduree.

Created by Albion Cosmetics, the collection will include 20 different blush colors in the form of cameos as well as liquid foundation and lip color.

The range will launch in Japan this February before reaching Europe in fall 2012, followed by the US and elsewhere in Asia.

US fast-food chain Wendy’s, known for its square beef patties and baked potatoes, on Tuesday unveiled a foie gras burger as it sprang back into life in Japan.

Two years after shutting up shop because of falling profits, Wendy’s is hoping its exotic new menu will tickle the sophisticated Japanese palate.

The regular buns are still there but are joined by the foie gras burgers, which cost 1,280 yen ($16), and avocado and wasabi burgers (820 yen) as well as grilled chicken served with truffle and porcini mushroom sauce (920 yen).

A fleet of luxury sportscars has been involved in one of the most expensive accidents in history after an astonishing multi-car pile-up in Japan.

The wreck included several Ferrari 355s, Ferrari F430s, Ferrari F360, Ferrari F512, Lamborghini Diablo and three Mercedes models as well as a Nissan Skyline.

The Ferrari driver reportedly lost control round a wet curve of China Road in Yamaguchi Prefecture when he hit a median creating a catastrophic chain reaction.

Even though Christmas is not a traditional Japanese celebration, few places in the world mark December 25 with such gusto as Tokyo.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo has announced a WISH.forJapan Christmas package that is available December 10-25.

10 percent of the price, which starts at Y52,000 per night will go to support people affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan in March.