Johannis de Rijke
| Johannis de Rijke | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
December 5, 1842 Noord-Beveland, Netherlands |
| Died | January 20, 1913 (aged 70) Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | civil engineer |
Johannis de Rijke (December 5, 1842 – January 20, 1913) was a Dutch civil engineer and a foreign advisor to the Japanese government in Meiji period Japan.
De Rijke was born in Noord-Beveland. He was the third of seven children born to farmer and part-time dike worker Pieter de Rijke and his wife, Anna Catharina Liefbroer. He obtained a position with the Dutch Ministry of the Interior as an apprentice to Jacobus Lebret, under whom he studied mathematics, earthwork construction, and hydraulic engineering practices.
In 1865, De Rijke worked for Cornelis Johannes van Doorn building the Oranje lock which closed off the IJ from the Zuiderzee at Schellingwoude near Amsterdam. De Rijke was the chief construction foreman. When Van Doorn was invited to travel to Japan in 1872, he encouraged De Rijke to join him in re-designing the port of Osaka.
In September 1873, De Rijke arrived in Japan together with Van Doorn and George Arnold Escher. During the next thirty years, these three civil engineers developed a range of flood control and water management projects. He improved the ports of Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagasaki, Ujina (Hiroshima), Hakata (Fukuoka), Mikuni (Sakai) and Niigata. His breakwater at the port of Yokkaichi is recognized by the Japanese government as an Important Cultural Property.
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