Japan originated the television format adapted as Britain's Dragon's Den.
The format was created in Japan and was originally known as Money Tigers. Its central idea was simple but dramatic: entrepreneurs present business proposals to a panel of wealthy potential investors, who can question them and decide whether to provide funding.
The British programme adapted this structure for a domestic audience. The name Dragon's Den reflects the investor panel’s intimidating role, while other countries have used different titles and local business personalities. Despite those changes, the core pitch-and-investment mechanism remains recognisable across versions.
Japan is sometimes confused with the country of a particular adaptation, because the format has travelled widely. However, the question concerns the origin of the television concept itself, not the location of the British production or the nationality of any individual dragon.