Dentsu Institute of Human Research, a unit of Japan's biggest advertising company, says the tournament may generate more than double the Japanese yen 1.42 trillion (US$11.1 billion) Japan has spent staging it -- provided the national team makes it to the second round.
"The World Cup will act as a significant trigger, and may be the hook that could lift consumer confidence and spending in Japan," said Norio Kamijo, general manager at Dentsu Research.
"This will be the biggest event in Japan since Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964," Kamijo said. Dentsu's parent holds exclusive rights to market World Cup products in Japan.
Success on the pitch is anything but a sure thing. Japan is a 66-1 long shot at UK bookmaker William Hill to lift the winner's trophy. Fans say it's at risk of becoming the first host nation to be booted from the first round.
Japan lost all three matches in its World Cup finals debut in France four years ago, scoring just one goal. The team lost its two latest warm-up matches, including a 3-0 defeat last week to Norway, which didn't even qualify for soccer's showcase event.
If, as seems probable, the economic benefits prove short-lived, Japanese officials are still upbeat.
"The host cities will be in the international spotlight for at least a month," said Koichi Hayashi, who works in Yokohama's tourism office. "You can't quantify the benefits that this will have for the city in the long-run in money terms or in a report."
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