Money Tigers is the Japanese business-investment show that inspired Dragons' Den.
The Dragons' Den format originated in Japan, where entrepreneurs presented business proposals to a panel of wealthy investors. The Japanese title, Money Tigers, supplied the underlying format that was later adapted for broadcasters in several countries, including the United Kingdom.
The British programme changed the title and localised the panel, presenter, business examples and currency, but retained the central structure: entrepreneurs seek investment by offering a share of their company, while investors question the proposal and decide whether to make an offer.
The Japanese origin is sometimes obscured because the UK series became internationally familiar in its own right. It is also easy to confuse Money Tigers with the names used by later adaptations, such as Shark Tank in the United States. Those titles refer to related national versions, not the original Japanese programme.