In the days of Japan's bubble economy, the second-level basement of the Fiction Building in Tokyo's Harajuku neighborhood housed a decadent Italian restaurant complete with a grand stairway down to the main dining area, providing every customer the chance to make an entrance. However, the opulent eating space soon saw its fortunes change with the rest of the country.

"The owner used to basically use this space as a giant closet," Alan Swarts says about the spot his company, Breaker, now rents. The basement boasts a similar vibe today, as a random array of items dot the main room: a ping-pong table, a basketball hoop, a drum kit. It also features Hollywood-quality lighting and filming equipment. It's a fitting mish-mash that reflects the platform Breaker helps to create content for — YouTube.

Once a depository for videos of cats and trampoline accidents, YouTube has grown into a huge business, with a 2015 poll conducted by CyberAgent finding that people in Japan of all ages turned to the site first for online video content. The same study found that those between 15 and 19 watch video content nearly as much on their phones as on TV.