Canadian police on Thursday identified a man who was fatally stabbed in Vancouver in the early hours of Wednesday as 32-year-old Wataru Kakiuchi of Japan.
The Consulate General of Japan in Vancouver confirmed that Kakiuchi, who lived in Burnaby in greater Vancouver, is a Japanese national. After being warned by police about the stabbing, the Consulate General contacted his family.
Kakiuchi was stabbed near Vancouver’s Chinatown around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. He was pronounced dead during his transport to hospital.
Kakiuchi worked at one izakaya Japanese style bar in the city.
“This senseless act of violence leaves our city in shock and mourning,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a statement Thursday. “He was a positive presence and a dear friend to many.”
