Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday received her fourth honorary D.Litt, but the first from an institution outside India, from Japan’s Okayama University, at an event in the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, where she announced her decision to visit Japan in 2026.

The public national university’s president, Nasu Yasutomo, led a Japanese delegation and presented the honour to the Bengal chief minister at the Alipore venue in the evening.

Yasutomo said: “Mamata Banerjee has dedicated herself to the poor women and children of the state. She has undertaken several projects to improve their social security and health.”

“It is because of her humanitarian leadership that Okayama University is awarding an honorary D.Litt. for the first time to a woman from Asia,” he added.

The Calcutta University and St Xavier’s University here, and the KIIT in Bhubaneswar had earlier conferred honorary D.Litt. degrees on the chief minister.

Accepting the honour, the Trinamool Congress chief hailed Japan and its various aspects.

“A very beautiful country.... We have a lot to learn from the discipline, health awareness and work culture of the people there,” she said, hailing centuries of Bengal-Japan ties, and underscoring Rabindranath Tagore, Rash Behari Bose, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s connection with the east Asian economic powerhouse.

“It was my duty to honour this courtesy. It has nothing to do with politics,” said Mamata, adding that in February, representatives from the university had come to Calcutta to participate in the Bengal Global Business Summit, and they had invited her to visit Japan to receive the D.Litt. “I had said I wouldn’t be able to make it. So they decided to come to Calcutta and do this.”

The chief minister promised to visit the university in Okayama next year, besides a small tour of the country.

“I know that many will have difficulty with this as well. But I am not a VIP, I am a LIP — less important person. I want to stay that way for the rest of my life,” she said.

On the sidelines of the event, Mamata and the Japanese delegation discussed the possibilities of educational and cultural exchanges, joint research, and investments.