VIENNA (Kyodo) About 100 people gathered Monday in the Floridsdorf district to celebrate the opening of the Tora-san Park, named after the central character in the hugely successful Japanese film series.

The 3,000-sq.-meter park signals friendship and cooperation between Japan and Austria, especially between Floridsdorf and Katsushika Ward, Tokyo. The home of Tora-san, a traveling salesman in the movie series "Otoko wa Tsuraiyo" ("It's Tough Being A Man"), is in Shibamata, Katsushika.

"The opening of this park symbolizes the cooperation of the two districts," an official of the Japanese Embassy to Austria said.

The park honors 140 years of relations between Japan and Austria and 22 years of friendship between Katsushika and Floridsdorf.

With 48 installments, "Otoko wa Tsuraiyo" was once considered by the Guinness World Records to be the longest movie series in the world. Its 41st adventure was shot in Vienna about 20 years ago.

"I want many people from Floridsdorf to come to Tora-san Park to relax and feel the human relation between the two districts," said Katsuji Saito, president of the Katsushika Tourist Alliance.