> I had bought the last one and they were not
> going to get anymore on hand.

Interesting.

I had forgotten until I read your reply that 2.5 
weeks ago I tried to get a pink IPMO for Japan at 
the Post Office near where I work (where I've 
bought IPMOs many times before), and I was 
told "We're all out of them;  I don't know when 
we'll get more" (which I found rather surprising 
at the time) .

A picture may be emerging here.....