(幽霊部員/yūrei buin) Ghost members are a real phenomenon in Japanese school clubs. These are students who are officially part of a club, but barely participate, maybe they show up once in a while. They stay in the club so it looks good in their reports, or they simply sign up and then lose interest. Clubs tolerate them because membership numbers matter (school recognition, fundings, or competitions), so having a few „ghosts” helps the club officially exist.