Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has bought a 5 percent stake in each of Japan’s five biggest trading houses, together worth over $6 billion, marking a departure for Chairman Warren Buffett as he looks beyond the United States to diversify his conglomerate.
The long-term investment in Itochu Corp., Marubeni Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co Ltd., and Sumitomo Corp. could see the stakes rise to 9.9 percent, Berkshire said on Aug. 30, Buffett’s 90th birthday.
