Sure, the point is what is their core business. E.g. Sony core business is electronics, despite having financial, entertainment, and other branches. Same thing for SoftBank: yes, it is a holding, but its main business is telecommunications.
If you're good at writing insurance it's essentially a great way of getting interest-free loans which they then spin into a huge pile of low-risk, cash-generating businesses (e.g. Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, See's Candies, to pick three Berkshire brands...).