Nippon TV created the international television format behind Dragons' Den.
The concept originated in Japan as Money Tigers, a programme in which entrepreneurs sought funding from wealthy businesspeople. Nippon Television Network Corporation, commonly called Nippon TV, developed the format before it was adapted for audiences in other countries.
The British version retained the essential structure: business owners make presentations, investors interrogate the proposal, and any deal depends on negotiation. The investors' dramatic nickname, Dragons, is one of the elements that became especially associated with the UK adaptation.
This fact is often confused because Japan has several major broadcasters, including NHK, Fuji TV and TV Tokyo. The source format is also sometimes described simply as Japanese television, but Nippon TV is the specific network credited with creating the concept.