This news piece reflects upon the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, categorised as the most catastrophic nuclear accident in history. The incident, which took place on April 26, 1986, in the No. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. The story delves into the after-effects of this catastrophe and civic readiness to prevent such disasters in the future.

Given the devastating effects of the Fukushima Nuclear disaster in 2011, the topic of nuclear safety remains a highly sensitive and critical issue in Japan. The society, largely driven by a consideration for public safety, holds strong opinions on the country's nuclear energy policies. The Chernobyl anniversary serves as a haunting reminder of these risks.

In contrast, countries such as the US or EU, while equally affected by the disaster and concerned about nuclear safety, have a generally less vivid societal memory of nuclear incidents. Their nuclear energy policies are more heavily influenced by energy needs and environmental considerations rather than safety concerns.