Yellowknife (Oct 20/00) - A police officer from Japan got to patrol above the Arctic Circle last week.

Sgt. Katsushige Higashi spent four days in Inuvik as part of a three-month exchange with the Vancouver police department and RCMP detachments in British Columbia.

"I wanted to go over the Arctic Circle," explained Higashi, who had not visited Canada prior to his arrival last month in Vancouver.

Higashi has been a cop for 10 years and is posted at the Interpretation Centre, Education and Training Division, Osaka Prefecture Police Headquarters.

He explained that Japan has 47 prefectures, or provinces, and that each has its own police force which is co-ordinated by the national police agency. Osaka, where he lives, has 65 police stations and 20,000 police officers.

"Technically, I'm with a national police agency," he said.

Higashi said that Osaka has about 8.8 million people, and that it only snows there about three times a year.

"My first impression, the suitable word is incredible," Higashi said of Inuvik.

"It snows most of the time, but in the summertime, you have 30 degrees. It's difficult to understand.

"Sometimes I walk around downtown, people are smiling at me," Higashi said. "Very kind and warm is my impression of the Inuvik people."

Higashi was greeted at town hall and was told some of the history of the community.

"To actually know about this place, I should live here at least one year. So I'd like to stay here more than one month," Higashi said.

"It's an excellent experience for me," he said as he prepared to leave.

"I'd like to come back here."