My Akita, Kuma, is the sweetest, most affectionate dog.
I rescued him from the street where he was abandoned or escaped when he was about 1 year old. He was covered in oil and muck, had worn off much of the hair on his elbows, and had a chain rusted around his neck tightly with a c-clamp that was impossible to open. I had to cut the chain to get it off him.
I have a cat that he considers one of the family and even grooms and licks on occcasion! However, I am very careful introducing him to other dogs. If another dog snaps at him or acts aggressive, it's all over. I've unfortunately had two occassions where he has seriously hurt another dog. One in the dog run with a great dane about 3x his size (Kuma, at about 110 lbs, could walk underneath him) that snapped at him 3 times before Kuma got really pissed off. Another with a pit-bull who snapped at him while he was on the leash. Both dogs suffered severe sever cuts and tears in their throat.
He is very gentle with friends. However, if you show aggression toward him he will show it back. This is not a dog for enyone. An Akita is the type of dog that you must IMMEDIATELY let know who is the alpha-male (or female) or it will not listen to a thing you want it to. Most importantly, although you must show dominance, Akita's are dogs that you should NEVER HIT. The consequences could be at the very least... painful.