TOKAI, Ibaraki Pref. (Kyodo) A full-scale replica of the uranium facility where a deadly criticality accident took place in 1999 was unveiled Tuesday in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, so future generations can learn from the disaster.

At the opening ceremony, Tokai Mayor Tatsuya Murakami told some 70 people the fiasco there at nuclear fuel processor JCO Co. damaged public trust in atomic energy, which is the core of the nation's future energy policy.

"We need to learn lessons from the failure," he said.