Real Earth Bounty has been operating in Japan for nearly a decade.
For the British Columbia (BC)-based confectionery manufacturer, this time has been spent building relationships, and gradually expanding its presence in one of the world’s most quality-driven food markets, with our support.
That long-term approach has translated into tangible results, including partnerships with major retailers across Japan.
Real Earth Bounty is led by Manny Singh and his father, AJ Singh, who combined their backgrounds in sales and manufacturing to build the business.
The company’s story began in 2008 with the import and packaging of food products in Canada. Over time, its focus shifted toward dried fruits and gradually expanded into value-added production. A major milestone came in 2015 with the opening of a factory in Pitt Meadows, enabling the company to produce chocolate-coated fruits and other specialty coated snacks.
Rather than compete with mass-market chocolate, Real Earth Bounty focused on premium products made with real ingredients.
“We decided at the very get-go that we’re not going to try to compete with Snickers or Mars bars,” Manny says. “We had to have a product that was unique.”
That meant using real fruit, like BC-grown blueberries, rather than fruit-flavoured fillings, and producing chocolate with higher cocoa content and no artificial additives.
“We wanted to actually have real fruit inside all of our products,” he says.
Today, the company employs between 28 and 35 people, depending on the season, and produces hundreds of products. Alongside its own branded products, Real Earth Bounty has built a strong private-label business, creating custom products for retailers and brands in Canada and internationally.
Like many Canadian food companies, Real Earth Bounty initially focused on the domestic market. However, they quickly realized that entering major Canadian and American retail chains required significant investment and carried high risk.
They needed to look abroad to grow.
In 2015, Real Earth Bounty participated in FOODEX Japan, the largest food and beverage show in Asia. Manny says he went in with low expectations, having heard that success in Japan would take time.
Instead, the company quickly gained traction, leaving early trade shows with new customers and a foothold in the market.
Japan proved to be a strong fit for the brand. Canadian food products are often seen as premium in international markets, particularly in Asia.
Manny says Japanese buyers are not looking for Canadian companies to adapt their products to local tastes, they want authenticity.
“They don’t want us to custom create products for them that fit their market,” he says. “They want what is Canadian.”
Instead, Real Earth Bounty leans into its Canadian identity, using maple leaf imagery and “Made in Canada” messaging on its packaging to reinforce its positioning in the market.
When Manny first began exporting, he wasn’t yet aware of the support available to him.
That changed at FOODEX Japan, where he met Trade Commissioners based in Tokyo and Osaka. They introduced him to the full range of services and began connecting him with buyers.
Those initial conversations proved powerful. Several introductions made right on the trade show floor grew into lasting customer relationships, helping Manny build a strong foundation in international markets.
“It wasn’t until maybe I had done another three or four shows that I understood that this was basically almost an extension of my sales and marketing arm,” he says.
The support went well beyond initial introductions. Trade Commissioners helped line up meetings, introduced the company to importers and retailers, and accompanied them in Japan to facilitate discussions and build trust.
“The fact that you get face time with potential customers is massive,” he says. “That’s not something you can buy.”
Their presence also adds credibility. “When the Canadian Embassy is present at the meeting, you kind of sit up and you listen,” Manny explains.
Over the years, Real Earth Bounty has participated in several Canadian pavilions at international trade shows organized by Trade Commissioners to meet buyers and build relationships in the market.
In addition to introductions, we supported Real Earth Bounty in navigating market-entry requirements.
This included connecting the company with the right contacts to navigate regulatory questions, certifications, and approvals, as well as facilitating communication with Japanese importers while products were evaluated for the market.
“They’re very good at making sure that I follow all the rules so that we actually have a successful launch in the country,” Manny says.
They leveraged services from Canada’s trade team which includes the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Export Development Canada (EDC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Farm Credit Canada (FCC), and support from BC’s Export Navigator program.
EDC has supported the company through financing, guarantees, and introductions to international buyers. Federal and provincial programs, like our CanExport program and BC-based funding, have helped offset the cost of trade shows and international travel.
“We work with different levels, provincial and federal,” Manny says.
The pandemic marked a major turning point for Real Earth Bounty.
The company shut down production for roughly six weeks as employees stayed home during the early uncertainty of COVID-19. Federal support programs helped it maintain operations during that period.
By 2022, the company was ready to relaunch its export strategy, and Japan was the first market they turned back to.
He reconnected with Trade Commissioners in Japan, who organized virtual meetings and helped re-establish relationships with buyers while travel was still limited. That support helped restart momentum in the market.
“The amount of help I received was enormous,” Manny says. “We wouldn’t be here today without them.”
That renewed engagement has led to two of Real Earth Bounty’s most important partnerships in Japan today: Seijo Ishii and Costco Japan.
Seijo Ishii, a well-known premium supermarket chain, became a key customer through years of relationship-building supported by Trade Commissioners. Manny credits Trade Commissioner, Noboru Shimizu, with helping maintain those connections, arranging meetings, promoting the company’s products in-market, and ensuring it remained visible to key buyers.
“He made sure at every event that I met with them, I talked to them,” Manny says.
Costco Japan represents another major milestone. Manny says Trade Commissioners facilitated introductions and leveraged longstanding relationships with Costco’s leadership in Japan.
“Without them, that deal would not have happened,” he explains.
Seeing products on shelves in Japan has been a rewarding moment, and often first captured by Trade Commissioners, who shared photos from stores.
“It feels good,” Manny says. It also creates momentum. “When the product is on the shelf at one store, all the other stores are calling,” he adds.
Japan is not a quick-win market, but it is a stable one.
“It takes a while to break into the market,” Manny says. “But once you’re in the market, you’re pretty much set.”
That reflects the importance of long-term relationships in Japan. Buyers take time to vet suppliers carefully, but once trust is established, those relationships tend to be consistent and predictable.
Today, Japan is Real Earth Bounty’s top export market after the United States. The company expects continued growth across East Asia, including Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, as well as in Latin America.
For Manny, the experience highlights the importance of persistence, quality, and the right support network.
For a family-owned company from British Columbia, building a presence in Japan did not happen overnight, but over time, it has become a key part of their global growth.
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