Mr Yamada and Japan's ambassador-designate to New Zealand, Mr Hideto Mitamura, will be among the 48-strong delegation arriving in Dunedin tomorrow.
A master sushi chef is due to arrive in Dunedin late this afternoon, ahead of the main party.
The trip is a reciprocal visit after a visit by a 22-strong Dunedin delegation to Otaru in July, with both trips marking the 30th anniversary of the signing of the sister-city agreement between the two centres.
While in Dunedin, the delegates will sample a traditional Kiwi barbecue - to be held in the Otaru room of the Dunedin City Council's Civic Centre offices tomorrow - followed by a trip to the Speight's Brewery on Monday to sample flavours of a different kind.
The group will also experience another slice of traditional Kiwi life when they attend a sheep-shearing demonstration at Cr Andrew Noone's farm near Waikouaiti on Tuesday.
As well, the group will tour Otago Museum, Olveston, the Chinese Garden and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, and try their hand at golf at the St Clair Golf Club.
Some of the visitors will also experience a slice of suburbia, with homestays offered to members of the group.
The hospitality will be reciprocated, with taiko drummers travelling as part of the delegation performing a free show at the Glenroy Auditorium at 4pm tomorrow.
A collection of traditional kimono will also be on display as part of a cultural day at Otago Museum tomorrow, which will also include a public demonstration by the master sushi chef at 1.30pm.
A Japanese film festival has also been organised to coincide with the trip, with features screening at Otago Museum and Rialto Cinemas from October 17-25.
Dunedin-Otaru Sister Cities Society president Robyn Murray said planning for the trip had been carried out over the past year, and it was exciting the hard work was about to come to fruition.
"I'm really excited that they're coming, that we're hosting them, and that the city is embracing it," she said.
The trip would help build on the strong relationship already enjoyed by the two centres and it was a chance to involve Dunedin mayor-elect Dave Cull, she said.
"It's significant, especially with new people in power, to understand the history and how we can make it just as important as we move forward."
Outgoing Mayor Peter Chin, a member of the society, would co-host Sunday's barbecue, she said.
The Japanese delegation would also include Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Yoshiharu Nakamatsu, Otaru New Zealand Society president Fumiyuki Saijo and Otaru City Council chairman Takashi Misoya and his wife.
Ms Murray said the delegation was not the largest to come to Dunedin, but showed the relationship was "staying strong".
Costs for the trip would be shared by the council and delegation, but exact details were not available yesterday.
The delegation flies home on Wednesday.
