This is a Japanese term for “foreigner.” There’s debate as to whether it’s an insult or not (I imagine it could go both ways, depending on context or usage).
It came up in Neuromancer a lot, especially the early chapters set in Chiba City.
Added on
I’m reading Shogun by James Clavell, and it turns out the last book in his Asian Saga was named Gai-Jin (with the hyphen).
I tried to read this years ago, but didn’t get too far. It’s a weirdly tough read. I picked it up in an airport on the way home from a conference and tried again. Gibson has an odd writing style. He’s done a lot of world-building, and he uses all sorts of nomenclature and jargon without much…
Every day, between 7,000 and 10,000 unique visitors come to this website. I don't keep analytics, so I have no idea why you're here. Maybe get in touch with me and tell me why you visited today?