It had to happen. The slick but savvy TV quiz show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?," which first took Britain by storm and then went on to conquer America, is poised to invade Japan. Fuji Television announced last month that it will begin airing a tailored-for-Japan version of the show -- to be called "Millionaire Quiz" -- from April 20.

Unfortunately for contestants, and perhaps for viewers who are titillated by the sight of enormous amounts of money being given away to the undeserving, Japanese law limits the top prize to just 10 million yen -- about $90,000. Fuji Television officials are probably in the vanguard of the push to give the yen parity with the U.S. dollar. For now, as they admitted last month, their prize money is a bit on the paltry side. Ten million yen? Some people would pay that just to keep the show out of their living rooms. Judging by its popularity abroad, however, there is bound to be someone in every Japanese household who is riveted by it.

In truth, it is a singularly irritating program, which takes the traditional idea of the quiz show -- rewarding the rare combination of general knowledge and fast reflexes -- and ruins it. Here's how it works. A single contestant answers a series of questions of increasing difficulty, with the prize money ratcheting higher as the quiz proceeds. At each level, contestants have the option of quitting -- and taking the money won so far -- or continuing. If they go on, but miss the next question, they get nothing. Making things easier are multiple-choice answers and the "life-line" option, by which contestants can ask the audience or phone anyone they like for help.