It's pretty much six months since the infamous 'Yuri!! on Ice' Avex export ban that started out as Avex Pictures anime ban, only to spill out into certain Avex releases that are also subject to a similar export ban, as well as certain other labels (such as Vision Factory and even Yamaha, which is non-Avex, as well as AKB48 DVD releases). These export bans are very contradictory to the Cool Japan initiative, and this hurts global spread of J-pop, not helping, already putting insult to injury on the YouTube Red blocks of certain J-pop acts (such as Sony).
I'm just glad Victor Music (subject to YouTube Red) doesn't have an export ban, as well as Arashi and Hey! Say! JUMP, but these export bans are still really irking us. When will these export bans come to an end???
Also, could we blame online streaming services - such as Spotify, which expanded to Japan like, last year, and now we're able to listen to (select) J-pop music outside of Japan - for the export ban or something?
And/or should we believe the future is digital, yet Johnny's acts are still running contrary to it?
By the way, I checked CDJapan's page for the LIMITED edition of Arashi's upcoming "untitled" album (coming next month, and, as I said earlier, not subject to an export ban at the moment;
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/JACA-5683)...and, even though I don't have any intentions to buy it, it's already SOLD OUT. With no future printing of it to come.
And we still have A MONTH to wait for that album to come out...