New Murakami novel ruled 'indecent' by Hong Kong censors

Not having read the book, it would have been useful for the article to have detailed what about the novel was deemed “indecent” by the state thought police.

This should be a boon to sales

Well, the book is on sale in Shanghai in Chinese, Japanese and English editions. Murakami is a renowned and popular author so it's very possible sales will be good. Hong Kong, unlike Shanghai, is governed by reactionary Christians who are homophobic in the extreme. Roger Wong, for one.

I don’t believe HK has said why, but since the novel is not more “adult” than his others, the implication is that this is political retaliation for Murakami’s support for the democracy protestors.

They've probably realised he's been writing the same book for years.

I don’t believe HK has said why, but since the novel is not more “adult” than his others, the implication is that this is political retaliation for Murakami’s support for the democracy protestors.

In China it doesn't get more "indecent" than that. (The Dali Lama must be a complete degenerate.)