Mubasher: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc announced a $6 billion investment in five of Japan’s largest trading houses, acquiring a 5% stake in each company.

Buffett bought a slightly more than 5% stake in Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo in about a year through its subsidiary National Indemnity Company, according to a statement on Monday.

The largest US company in terms of shareholders’ equity might raise its holdings for the long-term investment as high as 9.9%, but Buffett pledged to obtain approval from the investee’s board of directors before making purchases up to an ownership of 9.9%.

Berkshire Hathaway holds 625.5 billion of yen-denominated bonds which will mature at various dates from 2023 to the end of 2060. Thus, the company has little exposure to yen/dollar fluctuations.