Berkshire Boosts Stakes in Japan Trading Houses

Berkshire Boosts Stakes in Japan Trading Houses

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKa) indicated it is planning to increase its ownership in Japan’s five leading sogo shosha – Mitsubishi Corp. (TYO:8058), Itochu Corp. (TYO:8001), Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (TYO:8031), Sumitomo Corp. (TYO:8053) and Marubeni Corp. (TYO:8002) – according to comments made by Chief Executive Greg Abel in an interview with the Nikkei published on 3 September 2026.

The holdings were originally built in 2019 under Warren Buffett’s direction. Buffett later raised Berkshire’s stakes to between 9 % and 11 % and secured agreements with each house to allow ownership beyond the 10 % threshold. As of the end of 2025, Berkshire’s combined investment in the five companies amounted to $35.37 billion, generating $862 million of dividend income for the year.

Mitsubishi Corp. represents the largest single position, with Berkshire holding a 10.8 % share valued at $9.21 billion. Following the announcement, the share prices of all five trading houses rose on Thursday, with Mitsubishi and Sumitomo posting gains of approximately 5 % each.

The CEO’s remarks signal confidence in the long‑term growth prospects of the trading houses, which are among the world’s largest corporations with diversified operations across multiple sectors. No specific timeline or additional financial commitment was disclosed.