Money Tigers is the Japanese television programme that provided the original format for the British show Dragon's Den.
Money Tigers was a Japanese reality television programme in which entrepreneurs presented business proposals to potential investors. Its central idea—an entrepreneur asking for funding while facing probing questions from wealthy backers—was adapted for international television.
The British version retained the basic pitch structure but developed its own identity, terminology and panel. British investors became known as Dragons, while the United States adaptation used the title Shark Tank. Other countries created their own local versions, adjusting language, business culture and broadcasting style.
The Japanese origin is sometimes obscured because the British programme became a major standalone brand. It is also easy to confuse the source title with “Dragons' Den Japan”, which refers to a later Japanese branding of the international format rather than the original programme title. The canonical original format source is Money Tigers.