The $1275 sculpture was the council's gift to Otaru on the 30th anniversary of the signing of the sister city agreement between Dunedin and Otaru this year.
It arrived safely in Otaru after being shipped to Japan in two pieces earlier this month, and would be unveiled by Otaru Mayor Katsumaro Yamada during the city's Ushio Summer Festival next month, council business development team leader Greg Sligo said.
The sculpture was made in Christchurch and purchased through Dunedin store Koru NZ Art and Jade. It was named Pacific Tide before making its journey to Otaru, he said.
"It's quite appropriate because the tide is quite a big thing in Otaru. They made their money from fishing in the same way we get our money from gold and the name of their festival [means] the tide festival.
"We [New Zealand and Japan] are sort of linked by the tides, so it's actually quite nice."
There had been sighs of relief when staff heard the sculpture had arrived safely in Japan, he said.
"Oamaru stone is not the most robust of stones. It's a sedimentary rock and it can fracture, so we were very pleased once it got up there," he said.
Mayor Peter Chin and councillors Bill Acklin and Andrew Noone, together with two council staff, would represent the city during a trip to Otaru for the festival, from July 23 to 25. The group would be present when the city's gift was unveiled on July 23.
A much larger reciprocal delegation from Otaru to Dunedin planned to make a visit in mid-October.
