On October 17, 2014, Atsumi Yoshikubo arrived in Yellowknife, Canada, from Japan and checked into the Explorer Hotel. Over the next few days, she visited a gift shop and a tourist information centre where she made inquiries about viewing the aurora borealis – the main attraction for Japanese tourists visiting the Northwest Territories. Five days after she arrived, Atsumi went walking along the main road heading out of the city and was never seen again.