Ginkan name was given by Yoshio Matsunaga Sensei. This is how Yoshio Matsunaga Sensei derived the name Ginkan:

From: “josh”< Yoshio Matsunaga
To: “Terry Hjort”< Judotas
Sent: Thursday, 18 July 2002 11:31 PM
Subject: Ginkan Juku

To Dear my friend

Ginkan : Galaxy, the Milky Way
Juku : a home school, private school

The great nature which human knowledge doesn’t reach is often figuratively expressed as the model of our life in the Orient..

A great river doesn’t ask the size of the streams that flows into there.
It is like living with many different opinions.
It is like tolerantly accepting, that is the reasons of the rivers own size.
It will be connected with surely good result that if people proceed towards the same goal.
It is probably a peaceful life if we can live like a large river.
The great river, which gives us the opportunity to think how to live, will be everywhere.

The Milky Way is a symbol of the Great River in the sky.
Sometimes, it is important to look up at the night sky for thinking of own life quietly.

I would like to introduce a story, which relates with the Milky Way.
There are stars that are separated by the Milky Way, Herdsman (the Altair) and Weaver (the Vega) they are symbol of lovers of the summer night sky. (In the northern hemisphere)
They are in love but in the destiny, which rendezvous only once a year.
Moreover, July 7th which on that day must be a clear night or they must wait for the next year if the day is rain or cloudy.
Children pray that the night would be clear and celebrate for the happy couple.
It is wonderful sensibility education that children pray for other’s happiness and celebrate.
Parents tell this story to their children with hoping that they will grow up as a kind-hearted person.

The stars were index from the ancient times, which guided the people who travelled on the sea or the desert.
People also recognised the season of sowing and harvest etc, there is also a word of “the star of hope”.

A human being won’t be able to lead a full life, if it doesn’t have a dream and hope at the same time as having the concrete guidelines of the real life.
Because you find a dream and hope no one can give that to you.
You must find something to make use of for the actual life by learning judo.
You must not give priority to the matter whether you will succeed as a contestant.
You must be a winner of your life.
It becomes important that you have kindness and modesty for that purpose.
Only if you are ready, we could learn various matters from great nature.
I thought about this name for your Dojo from the above images.
Yoshio □$B!!□(BMtsunaga□$B!!□(BJuly□$B!!#2#0#0#2

Gin, Silver

Kan, Great River

Juku, Private School

 

GINKAN, Galaxy or Milky Way “Great Silver River in the sky”