We are members of a publishing club called Yuurei Ghost Members. I have explained this to people from several countries, but the term Yuurei Member seems to be the only way to describe it accurately. A Yuurei member is a person who does not regularly participate in after-school activities (clubs) at school, even though they belong to a particular club. It can also refer to someone who does not formally belong to a club but participates informally on occasion. I feel that this term contains a negative sentiment and a desire for a little freedom. The word Yuurei has the nuance of something that does not actually exist but may be right around the corner. There is also a nostalgia for the past, for ‘what once existed.’ Everyone wants to freely show their rebellion against a group or ideology, but they also want to remember its existence. I feel that ‘ghost member’ is a word that encompasses the complex emotions of adolescence and acts as a receptacle for searching for a place to belong, so I have adopted it as the name of our group.
