Buffett Raises Japanese Trading House Stakes to Over $30 Billion
Warren Buffett has increased Berkshire Hathaway’s stakes in five Japanese trading houses to over $30 billion, hedging currency risk. He plans to hold these positions for "50 years or forever," reflecting a strategic diversification as Japanese equities rally on improved valuations and corporate governance.
1. Berkshire Hathaway’s Expanding Japanese Trading House Portfolio
Since 2019, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) has gradually built a $30 billion-plus stake in five leading Japanese trading houses, including Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsui & Co., positioning these investments as strategic analogues to Berkshire’s diversified insurance and rail businesses. CEO Warren Buffett has praised the trading houses’ varied revenue streams—from commodity trading and machinery distribution to energy and food products—as reflecting the same durable, decentralized model that underpins Berkshire’s long-term success. In a late-year shareholder letter, Buffett reaffirmed his commitment to these holdings, stating that Berkshire intends to hold them “for 50 years or forever,” while employing currency hedges to mitigate yen fluctuations. This Japanese allocation now represents one of the largest non-U.S. positions in Berkshire’s portfolio and highlights management’s confidence in global rebound themes outside the traditional U.S. equity universe.