This study shows how Japanese researchers in the high-growth period grasped the characteristics of self-governing associations in newly built apartment buildings areas. This study also examines the relation between self-governing associations, learning activities of residents, and adult education services provided by municipalities during this period. Researchers focusing on sociology and education in the high-growth period pointed out the difference between these self-governing associations, mainly consisting of new middle class, and traditional neighborhood groups outside of these areas. Some of these researchers evaluated positively the activities of self-governing associations because of their orientation of democratic solidarity and progressivism. These self-governing associations often included or were accompanied with learning activities of residents. These learning activities were sometimes supported by public adult education services. The public adult education services were not indispensable to these learning activities, but played a certain degree of supportive roles for residents.