In 1773, British navigator Captain James Cook encountered the Cook Islands, which he promptly named after himself. 15 major islands spread over 2,200,000 km2 of the South Pacific do not provide a particularly promising land of prosperity; however, as a sovereign nation with guile, they figured out how to make money from exotic materials such as stamps and stuff.
Now, they’ve figured out a new ploy: issuing Kumamon medallions. I don’t know the legal issues - one must obtain a license to issue Kumamon goods - but this being an international issue, it’s likely complicated. - William