Money Tigers provided the format for Britain's Dragon's Den.
The Japanese programme, known as Money Tigers, established the central structure later used by the British series: entrepreneurs present businesses to wealthy investors and negotiate over possible funding and ownership. The Japanese format was created for Nippon Television and became the source for several international adaptations.
The British title Dragon's Den is therefore not the name of the original Japanese programme. The show's investor panel and dramatic pitch-room format were adapted for a British audience, with the investors becoming known as Dragons rather than using the original programme's title.
A related point of confusion is the distinction between the format's creator and the programme that first used it. The original show is Money Tigers, while Japanese entrepreneur and producer Nippon Television are associated with the format's development and broadcast. The BBC adaptation premiered in January 2005 and developed its own panel, presenter and British business culture.