The UK TV show Dragon's Den is based on which Japanese business programme?

The UK TV show Dragon's Den is based on the Japanese business programme Money Tigers.

Money Tigers was the original Japanese format in which entrepreneurs pitched business proposals to wealthy potential investors. Dragon's Den adapted that central structure for British television, replacing the Japanese programme's investor identity with the more theatrical “Dragons” branding.

The format belongs to a wider international family of programmes built around entrepreneurs, valuations, negotiation and equity. Although local editions use different names, panels and presenters, the essential dramatic question remains the same: will an investor offer money, and on what terms?

A common mix-up is to identify Shark Tank as the source of the British show. Shark Tank is a later American adaptation of the same broad format lineage. The UK programme's direct source is Money Tigers, a title translated from the Japanese concept behind the original series.