Japan created the television format that became the British show Dragons' Den.
The original programme was called Money Tigers, or Money no Tora in Japanese. It aired in Japan before the format was adapted for other countries, including the United Kingdom. Entrepreneurs presented business proposals to wealthy investors and requested money in exchange for equity.
The British version retained the central structure: entrepreneurs stand before a panel of investors, explain their business, and negotiate over valuation and ownership. The word “dragons” replaced “tigers” in the British title, giving the format a distinctive local identity while preserving its investment focus.
A common mix-up is to assume the programme originated in the United Kingdom because the British series became internationally prominent. In fact, Dragons' Den belongs to a wider family of licensed adaptations. Shark Tank is a related American adaptation of the same broad format, but the original Japanese programme predates it.