Nippon TV created the original Japanese television format that became the BBC programme Dragon's Den.
The format originated in Japan under the title Money Tigers, known in Japanese as Money no Tora. Nippon Television Network Corporation, commonly called Nippon TV, developed the programme around entrepreneurs pitching for money from successful businesspeople. The format was later licensed internationally.
The British adaptation kept the essential structure: a contestant states the amount sought and the equity offered, then faces questioning before the investors decide whether to make an offer. Different countries changed the title, panel and production details, but the pitch-and-negotiation framework remained recognisable.
Nippon TV is a major Japanese commercial broadcaster and is distinct from NHK, Japan's public broadcaster. Fuji TV and TV Asahi are also separate commercial networks. The British show's name and dragons are therefore adaptations of an international format rather than an invention made specifically for BBC television.