Japan created the original television format on which the UK show Dragons' Den is based.
The British programme was adapted from a Japanese format commonly known in English as Money Tigers. The concept places entrepreneurs before wealthy investors, who decide whether to offer money in exchange for a stake in the business.
The format travelled internationally because its central situation is easy to understand: a founder presents a business, answers questions, and negotiates with investors. Different countries changed the panel, presenter, language, and deal-making customs while retaining the pitch-room structure.
A common mix-up is to identify the United States programme Shark Tank as the original. Shark Tank is an American adaptation of the same broad format, not the country that originated it. The UK series first brought the format to British audiences in 2005.