SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Ayaka Hattori got a typical response from her mother back in Japan after telling her she was moving from Banff, Alta. to Yellowknife.

Ayaka Hattori, left, a Japanese translator at Beck's Kennel, stands next to Yuriko Watanabe, a tourist visiting Yellowknife from Kyoto, Japan, on Tuesday. - Adrian Lysenko/NNSL photo

"She said 'are you crazy?" recalled Hattori. "Banff is cold enough, why are you going further North?"

The 24-year-old handles reservations, and works as a Japanese translator at Beck's Kennels.

Before arriving in the territory Hattori lived in Banff for three years, working for a hotel and gift shop - but because she didn't ski or snowboard she decided Banff wasn't the place for her.

"I was looking for something different," said Hattori. "So I thought maybe it was a good idea to come to Yellowknife, to see the northern lights and see how the people live here."

Hattori originally left Japan to study in St. Catherines, Ont.

"I wanted to learn English in the beginning and live in different places," said Hattori.

"At first my goal was to go to college and study tourism."

She had first heard about Yellowknife from friends who had gone dog sledding at Beck's Kennels.

"They had a really good experience."

She got in touch with Grant Beck, the owner of the business and was able to get a job.

Without knowing anyone and having only heard things about Yellowknife from friends, she arrived in the city a month ago.

"My first impression was it's bigger than I thought," said Hattori. "They told me Yellowknife is a really small city."

Being a popular destination for Japanese tourists, especially during the winter, Hattori said she hasn't heard any outlandish misconceptions about Yellowknife such as enquiries about polar bears roaming the streets and residents living in igloos.

"Most people ask me how do dogs live outside," said Hattori. "They are mostly curious about the best places to eat."

Her responsibilities including booking reservations, picking up tourists from the airport, and translating.

One of her favourite things about the North is the same thing that attracts many tourists - the aurora borealis.

"We can't see such a great thing back home," said Hattori. "Only if you go really North like to Hokkaido but not that often at all."

With her working visa expiring soon, Hattori only plans to stay in Yellowknife for the winter. Then she will return back home to Japan.

"After that maybe go to England or Australia," said Hattori. "I'm not ready to be settled down back home yet."

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