Bonsai Den is an independent importer and retailer of Japanese bonsai pots, tools, training wire, and accessories, based in Watertown, South Dakota. Everything but the tree. Here are the questions we get most.
About Bonsai Den
What is Bonsai Den?
Bonsai Den is a South Dakota corporation that imports and sells Japanese bonsai pots, tools, training wire, and accessories. It is based in Watertown, South Dakota, and owned by Eric Meyer. We sell collector-grade pots from Japanese kilns, DEN-stamped bonsai tools, aluminum and copper bonsai wire, and bench supplies, and we ship across the United States and to 27 other countries.
Does Bonsai Den sell bonsai trees?
No. Bonsai Den sells everything but the tree: pots, tools, wire, and accessories.
Who runs Bonsai Den?
Bonsai Den is owned and run by Eric Meyer. It started as live bonsai pot auctions on Facebook and grew into an importer that buys pots by the crate directly from Japan. Email to the shop goes straight to Eric.
Can I visit Bonsai Den in person?
Bonsai Den works from a premises in Watertown, South Dakota, not a retail showroom, so there are no walk-in hours. If you want to see a particular piece in person, email us and we will arrange it.
Bonsai pots
Where do Bonsai Den's bonsai pots come from?
Our pots are imported from Japan, many of them from the kilns of Tokoname. Makers in the collection include Yamaaki, Gyouzan, Suzuki Suzan, Biko, and Bigei. Browse them all in Bonsai Pots, and read the history of each potter in our potter profiles.
Are your pots vintage and authentic?
Most of our pots are older pieces, and each one is described as we found it. Chops and signatures are photographed and identified where the mark is legible, and we say plainly when a mark is unclear or a kiln attribution is our best judgment rather than a certainty. Wear, firing marks, and glaze pooling are described in the listing, not hidden from the photos.
What are Tokoname training pots, and what sizes do you carry?
Our Tokoname training pots are high-fired, unglazed terra cotta pots made in Japan for developing trees before they move into a display pot. We carry eight sizes, from #3 (3¾" diameter) to #10 (12¼" diameter). The numbers follow traditional Japanese sizing, where each size step adds about 3 cm of diameter. They sell as singles, 3-packs, and 10-packs.
Can I get more photos or measurements before I buy?
Yes. Ask for extra photos, a second measurement, how a glaze looks in daylight, or whether a pot suits your tree. We would rather answer questions before a sale than sort out a mismatch after one.
Tools and wire
What are Bonsai Den's Edge Series tools?
Edge Series is Bonsai Den's own line of structural cutters — concave, knob, root, wire, jin pliers, and trunk splitter — in manganese-infused stainless steel that won't rust, and every tool is stamped with the DEN mark. Our DEN shears are a separate line, hand-forged in Tsubame-Sanjo, Japan.
Should I use aluminum or copper bonsai wire?
Aluminum wire is softer and easier to apply and remove, and suits deciduous trees and most beginners. Copper is stiffer for its thickness and is the traditional choice for pines and junipers. As a rule, use aluminum wire about one-third the thickness of the branch. Our aluminum wire comes in nine gauges from 1mm to 6mm, in 100g, 500g, and 1kg rolls.
Shipping
How much does shipping cost in the United States?
US shipping is priced by the total packed weight of the order. Collector pots, tools, wire, and accessories ship at $8.99 under 10 lbs ($15 for Express), $25 for 10 to 20 lbs, $50 for 20 to 30 lbs, and $75 over 30 lbs. Tokoname training pots have their own lower rates: $8.99 under 10 lbs ($15 for Express), $18 for 10 to 20 lbs, $30 for 20 to 30 lbs, and $45 over 30 lbs. Tools, wire, and accessories ship free at $150 or more, and training pots ship free at $250 or more; the two thresholds are counted separately. Collector pots always ship at the weight rates. See our Shipping Policy for details.
How are bonsai pots packed?
Every collector pot ships double-boxed. It is wrapped in EPE foam, seated on an XPS foam board, and packed with kraft paper, and that box goes inside a second box with air column bags filling the gap. Tokoname training pots ship nested in a single box with paper between each one.
How fast do orders ship?
Orders are packed and shipped within 3 to 5 business days. You get a tracking number by email as soon as the label is made.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes. International shipping is a flat $225 per order to 27 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, much of the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Prices do not include your country's import duty, VAT, or brokerage fees, which the courier collects before delivery.
Returns and damage
Can I return a bonsai pot?
Pots are final sale, so we don't take them back for a change of mind. If a pot arrives damaged or isn't what the listing described, we make it right. Buyers in the UK and EU keep their statutory cancellation rights.
Can I return tools, wire, or accessories?
Yes, within 30 days of delivery, unused and in the original packaging. Email us to start a return before sending anything back. Full details are in our Refund Policy.
What if my order arrives damaged?
Email eric@meyersd.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number, a photo of the damage, and a photo of the box and packing as they arrived. Keep the box and packing until the claim is settled.
Wholesale
Does Bonsai Den sell wholesale to nurseries and bonsai shops?
Yes. Bonsai Den supplies other nurseries and bonsai shops at wholesale prices. Email Eric Meyer for the current wholesale price list.
Contact
How do I contact Bonsai Den?
Email eric@meyersd.com or call 605-880-9950. We answer emails within one business day.
Where can I watch Bonsai Den's pots on video?
On our YouTube channel, @BonsaiDenPots. We also run live pot auctions in Facebook bonsai groups.
More detail on packing, pot care, and tool care is on our Customer Care page.