Japan has chainmail but it was used to hold things to geather and cover parts that where more open. The weavs are difrent than Eropeian in most cases.
http://www.mailleartisans.org/weaves/subcat.cgi?mode=cat&key=2http://www.caradoc.org/~iain/gusari.html
http://www.fareastasianart.com/stores/thekura/items/98761/item98761fareastasianart.html
HistoryMail was invented some time in the mid 1st millennium BC, but it is unknown where and by whom it was first used. It may have been invented independently in Japan and in Europe. The earliest finds are from a 5th century BC Celtic chieftain's burial located in Ciumesti, Romania. The Greek term, cataphract, came to be associated with heavy cavalry (as opposed to light mounted archers). The Roman Republic first came into contact with mail fighting the Gauls in Cisalpine Gaul, now Northern Italy. The Roman army adopted the technology for their troops in the form of the lorica hamata which was used as a primary form of armour, through the Imperial period where it was used alongside the lorica segmentata.
The use of mail was prominent throughout the High Middle Ages, and reached its apex in the 13th century, when full body suits of mail armour were developed.
In the 14th century, plate armour began to supplement mail. Eventually mail was supplanted by plate for the most part. However, mail was still widely used by many soldiers as well as brignadines and padded jacks. These three types of armour made up the bulk of the equipment used by soldiers with mail being the most expensive. It was quite often more expensive than plate armour.
Extant mail is common, but it is not proportionately represented in museum collections.
