Victim of fatal Vancouver stabbing was popular chef at downtown restaurant

Wataru Kakiuchi was found injured near Union and Main Streets and died at the scene

by Glenda Luymes
June 06, 2024

Wataru Kakiuchi’s job title was cook, but he had the skills of a chef and loved creating new menus, said a coworker of the Japanese man murdered early Wednesday in Vancouver.

Kakiuchi, 32, was waiting for a ride near a friend’s apartment at Union and Main streets at around 3:30 a.m. when he was stabbed. He died before he could be transported to hospital.

Vancouver police continue to hunt for his killer.

Yoshihiro Tanabe, who worked alongside Kakiuchi at Hapa Izakaya’s former location in Coal Harbour, said his warm and fun personality enlivened the spirits of those he was with.

“He can make a good mood in the kitchen,” Tanabe said through his wife. “Nice guy … so fun,” he added, fighting back emotions.

Kakiuchi often brought his guitar to work. He loved to jam, especially to the Rolling Stones.

Tanabe said he wasn’t with Kakiuchi the night he died. He understands Kakiuchi was out drinking with friends in Gastown, then went to a friend’s house in the Chinatown area.

He was waiting for a ride home — either a cab or an Uber — when he was stabbed near the bottom of the on-ramp to the Georgia viaduct.

“He was just a normal person.”

Hapa Izakaya owner Justin Ault said Kakiuchi attracted people with his bright personality and positive energy.

“He was just a real ray of sunshine,” he said. “It’s such a waste.”

Kakiuchi, a Japanese national, came to Canada around 2016 and started working in restaurants. He was on a break waiting for his work permit to be renewed when he went out with some friends.

Ault said he was shocked to learn Kakiuchi had been killed. His co-workers in the kitchen are still reeling from the news.

“He was 130 pounds soaking wet. He would be the last person to be aggressive,” he said.

Vancouver police said they haven’t determined a motive for the killing. They asked anyone with dashcam or video footage from the area between 12:30 and 3:30 a.m. Wednesday to contact them.

Facebook photo of Wataru Kakiuchi. The 32-year-old chef from Hapa Izakaya restaurant in Yaletown was stabbed near Main and Union Street, Vancouver, B.C. in the early morning hours Wednesday, June 4, 2024. Handout photo

The Consulate-General of Japan in Vancouver confirmed it had notified Kakiuchi’s family in Japan. Deputy Consul General Satomi Okagaki said police contacted the consulate to inform them that Kakiuchi had been “stabbed on the street” and asked for help to contact his family.

She said she couldn’t make any further comment, but the consulate was grateful for the sympathy that has been shown since his death.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said Kakiuchi was more than a talented chef.

“He was a positive presence and a cherished friend to many,” he said in a statement Thursday. “His contributions to our community will not be forgotten.”

A Vigil was held at for Wataru Kakiuchi on Thursday. PHOTO BY ARLEN REDEKOP /PNG
Sim called the stabbing a “senseless act of violence” and said the city is in shock and mourning.

Photographs of Kakiuchi taken by his friends show him skiing in the North Shore Mountains, posing on the Vancouver waterfront and playing guitar on the beach.

Friends online remembered bonding over “pho on Broadway” at 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve, staff meals at restaurants and jam sessions where he played classic rock on his guitar.

Wataru Kakiuchi. The 32-year-old chef from Hapa Izakaya restaurant in Yaletown was stabbed near Main and Union Street, Vancouver, B.C. in the early morning hours Wednesday, June 4, 2024. Handout photo