Originally, the Nihonjin-ron discourses were found in missionaries' reports to their mother countries which were written from the Azuchi-Momoyama to the Edo periods, and experiences told by Japanese fishermen or boatmen who had a chance to see Russia, Canada, or other countries due to an accident or drifting at sea.
日本人論の起源としては古くは安土桃山や江戸時代の宣教師の母国への報告書や、海難・漂流体験からロシアやカナダなどを見る経験を得た日本人漁師や船頭の経験譚が挙げられる。