He will join them in Tokyo as they prepare to play Japan on Saturday.
Whitelock said it was good to be catching up with the side. They had enjoyed a good week from the reports he had received from several players.
Explaining his ear issue, he said he was playing with his children on a trampoline and, after doing some loops when chasing them, he got off the trampoline and felt a little giddy.
He spent the next five days in bed, sleeping morning and night for a couple of hours.
"Long story short, there are some little crystals in your ears, in your inner ear, and they all got into a little bit of a weird funk. That's why I lost a little bit of balance, my vision was pretty blurred, and it took a little time to get right.
"But I had some amazing people help me get it right, people in Christchurch, people in Auckland. Everyone's given me some space to get it right, and now I'm looking forward to getting back to the team environment and getting into some contact."
He said former teammate Ben Smith had similar problems a few years ago. Some exercises help to correct the issue.
"From my little bit of knowledge, there are three inner ear canals and each of them affect your balance and sight differently. You have to work out which one it is, and then go through different protocols and exercises to get it right."
Whitelock said he enjoyed rugby in Japan, they had some outstanding rugby fans, but the best thing about going was getting there, doing his job and getting stuck in.