The original Japanese television format adapted into the British show Dragon's Den was Money Tigers.
The Japanese programme, known as Money no Tora, is commonly translated into English as Money Tigers. It established the central format: entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to a panel of wealthy investors, who decide whether to offer money in exchange for equity.
The British adaptation retained that basic negotiation structure while giving the investors the distinctive “Dragons” title. Other countries developed their own versions and names, so the same format is often associated internationally with Shark Tank.
Money Tigers and Shark Tank are not interchangeable answers. Money Tigers is the earlier Japanese source format, while Shark Tank is a later American adaptation of the broader Dragons’ Den concept.