Dragon's Den, the popular tv show in which entrepreneurs compete to win financial backing from self-made millionaires, has made starting a business one of the most popular aspirations among young people in Britain.

This week it even branched out into pop music, as one of the Dragons gave a new band £75,000 in backing.

But the original Japanese format of the programme, which aired as Money no Tora (money tiger), was not a similar runaway success. Indeed, on a recent visit to Japan, many people I spoke to had never heard of it.

In a way, this sums up the conundrum facing businesses and authorities in Japan.

While there is a real desire to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation to boost the economy and keep ahead of other countries who can offer seemingly limitless cheap labour, Japanese society is not currently geared to encourage would-be Richard Bransons.

Sadakazu Tanigaki, chairman of the policy council of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan indicated that people were reluctant to stick their heads above the parapet by starting up a new business. "Japan is still a homogenous society ," he said.

The stigma of shame attached to business failure and bankruptcy, which was prevalent in the UK until quite recently, is still a problem in Japan.

This was exacerbated by the scandal surrounding the failure of Livedoor, a start-up internet firm which turned into Japan’s most heavily traded “new economy” stock. It 35-year old creator was imprisoned last year for false accounting.

Yuji Tokumasu, of the Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry (METI), also pointed out that a tradition of life-long loyalty to one company has also engendered a unique atmosphere. “Japan is a very comfortable society, people never had to think of starting a business themselves.

The Japanese financial system doesn’t like taking on risks either so there isn’t the same nurturing for enterprise.”

Some may wonder why the Japanese are worrying so much, after all - the way they do things hasn’t stopped them building up an enviable roll call of global brands including Honda, Toyota, Daihatsu and Sony.

But Japan is a resource-poor country relying heavily on imports to supplement its activity. In addition, its manufacturing sector is shrinking. Nearly 3 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in Japan since since 1995 as increasing numbers of firms are enticed by cheaper labour costs in other countries such as China.

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