[polka-dot-jewel]

lol Ayu released her single right before the winter holidays - more people, especially in Japan, are going to focus on spending time with their family and focus on traditional holiday stuff... not buying music.

That, and it's not like the #1 seller isn't selling that much, either.

Plus, Ayu's been catering to her fans more and more. Remember "Rule/Sparkle" and "NEXT LEVEL"? Just cell phone, street ads, and PV advertisements. She's focusing on pleasing her national fans more as opposed to the general public. (I would have said just "fans" but there's a lot of picky and unpleasant people here who aren't pleased by a lot of her actions (promotion, looks, etc.).)