Many Americans share the misconception that Japan did not help fund the Persian Gulf War, the New York-based deputy consul general of Japan said Tuesday night.

Seigi Hinata, who also directs the Japan Information Center in New York, spoke about general misconceptions Americans have about the Japanese in a lecture entitled "Five American Misperceptions About Japan," sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and the student-run East Asian Studies Society.

Hinata said Japan contributed $13 billion to the Gulf War -- the largest contribution made by any country other than Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

"Japan's taxes were raised $100 per person," Hinata said. "That equals out to an average of $400 per household."

Americans also think Japanese markets are closed to American products, he said. But the Japanese import twice as many products from the United States, including high-tech goods like satellites and computers, than from Europe. The competition between the United States and Europe creates better products, Hinata said.

"Competition is the key to sustained growth in both economies," he said.

That Japan is "buying-out" America is another of the American public's beliefs, Hinata said. But Japanese automakers have created more than 400,000 jobs in this country, he said, adding that Holland and Canada have the same amount of investments as do the Japanese.

Hinata pointed out that some minor financial investments, such as Mitsubishi's share in Rockefeller Center in New York City, are perceived as "buying-out" by Japanese of American property.

The "buying-out" theory could be a result of the general public concern about the declining American economy, he added.

Hinata said many Americans also believe the Japanese are racist toward African-Americans. Japan offers increasing opportunities for African-Americans, he said.

"Afro-Americans have told me, 'The Japanese treat us like equals,' " Hinata said.

Many Americans find Japanese hard to understand in terms of language and character, Hinata said. To remedy this, the two countries should communicate more effectively. One way is for American college graduates to teach English in Japanese schools in the Japanese Exchange Teaching Program, he said.

"This way Americans can get firsthand knowledge about Japan from the inside," Hinata said.

Some students found the lecture very informative.

Richard Tucker (graduate-political science) said the lecture addressed Americans' perceptions.

"The Japanese are only doing in America what the Americans have been doing all over the world for the last 45 years, and maybe the fact that this is hard to swallow for Americans, gave rise to the five misperceptions."

Others said the discussion did not educate a wide enough range of people.

"The lecture is good because it informs students of something that may not be familiar, but it is limited in its helpfulness because it can not reach the entire student body," said Jennifer Snyder (freshman-business administration).

Hinata, a graduate of Keio University in Tokyo and a former visiting fellow in the Center of International Affairs at Harvard University, is a specialist in U.S.-Japan negotiations.