The original Japanese title of the format adapted by the UK television show Dragons' Den was Money Tigers.
The Japanese programme was created as an investment-pitch format in which entrepreneurs presented business ideas to successful investors. The UK version retained the central exchange: applicants seek money and expertise, while investors assess the proposal and negotiate an ownership stake.
The British title replaced “tigers” with “dragons,” a metaphor intended to convey formidable, wealthy investors. The same underlying format has since been adapted in many countries, often using a local name and a local panel of businesspeople.
Money Tigers is easy to confuse with the English programme title or with later international versions. It is the name of the Japanese original, while Dragons' Den is the title used in the United Kingdom and several other territories.