But, from next month, three taiko drums will begin a new - and very active - life in Dunedin.
The drums have been shipped south as a gift from Japan, in honour of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the sister cities agreement between Dunedin and Otaru.
The gifts come after a Dunedin delegation led by Mayor Peter Chin travelled to Otaru in July.
While there, the Dunedin contingent presented a 2.3m-high Oamaru stone sculpture as the city's gift to Otaru.
Dunedin City Council business development team leader Greg Sligo said two of the three taiko drums were gifts to the city council, while the third was for the Dunedin-Otaru Sister Cities Society.
The drums would be officially presented when a 46-strong Otaru delegation, led by Otaru Mayor Yamada Katsumaro, visited Dunedin next month.
The itinerary was still being finalised, but Mr Sligo said the programme would include a free concert featuring a performance by Otaru's taiko drummers, using the drums given to Dunedin.
The drums would then be housed at the University of Otago's department of music and used by the department's taiko drum group, recently established by department head Prof Henry Johnson, Mr Sligo said.
Dunedin-Otaru Sister Cities Society president Robyn Murray said she spent four years living in Japan before moving to Dunedin, and the drums' distinctive sound "takes you back to Japan, just like that".
They were a "really awesome" gift for Dunedin, and would be well used, she said.
"You can't get a gift like that and not use it ... it's a living part of Japan and we want to keep it alive here."
