2026 Volume 43 Pages 3-33
Japanese neighborhood associations have long played an important role in local governance and community life. After being reestablished in the postwar period, they maintained high membership rates for many decades. In recent years, however, declining membership and reduced organizational capacity have become clear concerns. Discussions among experts and practitioners often focus on the increase in non-members, but many residents actually exit these associations by their own choice after once joining. To understand the weakening of neighborhood associations, it is therefore essential to examine these residents who voluntarily exit. This study investigates the experiences and psychological processes of voluntary exiters. It analyzes 328 free-text responses collected through a web-based survey conducted by a major national newspaper in Japan. Using widely adopted text-mining methods (co-occurrence network analysis and correspondence analysis) the study compares the free-text responses of current members, non-members, and voluntary exiters. The results show that exiters often accumulate dissatisfaction with perceived burdens, unfair or irrational practices, and negative emotional experiences. They tend to move through a gradual but irreversible process of exit process, and the likelihood of rejoining once they have left is extremely low. Withdrawal thus functions as a one-way psychological and behavioral decision. This pattern can be understood through Hirschman’s EVL framework, especially the irreversibility of Exit, as well as Yamagishi’s concept of the “assurance society,” which highlights the decline of mutual-monitoring social structures. These findings suggest that sustaining neighborhood associations requires more than encouraging non-members to join. A more urgent task is to create rational, transparent, and low-burden organizational practices that prevent members from wanting to leave in the first place.
