Inheritance of technology(5)

Wakatsu Port Training Wall (De Rijke Training Wall)

Johannis de Rijke was a Dutch civil engineer who was invited to Japan by the Meiji Home Ministry in 1873, worked on harbor and river construction and greatly contributed to the modernization of Japan. In Fukuoka Prefecture, earth and sand often accumulated on the left bank of the Chikugo River, preventing transport by ship. The Wakatsu Port Training Wall was built using a design by De Rijke to maintain the shipping route by speeding the flow of the river, washing the accumulated dirt and sand into shallows at the mouth of the river. The training wall extends about 6.5 kilometers from an inlet of the Ariake Sea. It was built out of stone in the Chikugo River, and today, 150 years after its completion, it is still serving its purpose.

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Wakamatsu Port Training Levee

A survey of the Chikugo River for Wakatsu Port Training Levee was conducted in 1883, and the levee was completed in 1890. Shinden Ohashi Bridge, 5 km upstream of the mouth of the river, is a good place to examine Wakatsu Port Training Levee. It provides a beautiful view.

Location: Okawa-shi, Fukuoka/Yanagawa-shi, Fukuoka/Saga-shi, Saga (Oaza Mukaijima area in Okawa-shi, Fukuoka)
PH: 0944-85-5584 (Okawa City Hall Interior Division)
Website: Okawa Tourism Association (Japanese only)
http://www.okawa-kk.com/spots/detail/22
Parking: Available (Chikugogawa Sogo Undo Koen Parking Lot/free)