I'm the same way around Akitas /- I've met more that are aggressive to children then friendly ones.

Nevertheless, there are some Akitas who are wonderful angels, so I wouldn't be to harsh on the breed. My mom has a pit bull and visitors are always alert and timid around the dog -- her pit bull wouldn't hurt a fly! In fact, she is scared of my moms cats (seriously). It's not necessarily the breed, but the upbringing of the dog. Still, some dogs are born aggressive and theirs not much you can do -- the same is with humans. Sure, there are a lot of bad people out there, but that doesn't mean I'm bad or your bad. It's just how life works.

@Dee1996, Sorry to hear your story and I hope you re ok.
I have never meet an American Akita (or even JA in the country) but I have meet a bunch of JA in France (we don't have any AA as you can imagine :) ) and they were so sweet and gentle I was a bit amazed about that because Shiba Inu that I've met were so primitive, feisty, unfriendly and way too proud of themselves lol. I agree with others, please don't blame the breed... owners can make mistakes with the dog education or sometime we can make mistakes when we are approaching another dog (even if we already know this dog) you see?
I can do anything I want to my dog poke him when he is playing eating sniffing around, I can show him my tongue he will just try to gently catch it to lick it (ewww lol I don't let him do it but I tested him), I can take away his food (I always give it back of course but I know he trust me), I can pull his ears he will just walk away and I can bit him (I know it sounds stupid but a child in my family does that once... bit a dog and the dog was used to be gently bit by his owner so he didn't do nothing except whine a bit and lick the ALL face of the child). But even if I can do all those things, I won't let anyone do it esp. a "stranger" even my husband doesn't do 1/2 of what I do to Trigger.
If Trigger meet someone and don't want to be pet, he'll just ignore or walk away but if the person doesn't understand the signal (and I don't see it) he will start to put his teeth on the hand of this person (no blood at all just touch the hand with his teeth). To me, it's not really the dog's fault... If the dog is aggressive he doesn't have to be put with stranger without close supervision and if he is not... So it had to have something wrong in the environment at this time or with you (I really don't wanna be rude or what it's just a thought).
Anyway, I hope your lip will be fine soon and you won't have scar.

@Sunyata @Dee1996 "Playful puppy bites" can almost turn into "I need stitches bites" even before a shiba grows up.

One of Hammond's puppy bites (he was around 12-16 weeks old and resource guarding my friend's dog food bin) punctured the fleshy part of the thumb area on my palm and hurt like a bitch for weeks. It took forever to completely heal.

He's almost a year now, full grown but still a pup, and when he gets overexcited and mouthy can do some damage. I've still got a fat lip from where he excited jumped up to mouth/lick my face just as I leaned down to put shoes on, and one of his canines pierced my lip (not like all the way through my lip, but it pinched a section on the inside of my top lip and pierced through through with the help of hitting my own front tooth). Not bad enough to need to go to a doctor, but it was bleeding and swelled up real bad and had two little holes visible.

Also somewhat of a tangent, but relevant: I've got scars all over my hands and arms from cat bites and scratches. From my own cats, from family members' cats, from stray cats. But I know not to swear off approaching any cat just because I've encountered a few cranky individuals or not obeyed warnings familiar cats have given me. Not even sworn off specific types of cats (like tortoise-shell, which do seem more often than not to be rather cranky) because I know it's based more on how the cat has been treated rather than the breed itself.

Sorry for the confusion haha. Was not trying to bash the breed at all, slightly venting is all, as I had a long day then. I appreciate all dogs, have just never had an incident such as this and I will definitely be more cautious around a dog that is not my own. @curlytails, They were shocked as they had never seen her bite in the 9 years since they've had her. Thank you for the links provided I will look at those. All is well with the family that owns the dog. I'm sure I will be returning to the house eventually, will be an awkward encounter with Maysa haha.

That's a terrible experience. I hope your lip will heal properly. I would like to mention, that which you have experienced can happen with any dog, any breed. I've been around hundreds of dogs in my lifetime and learned to keep a peripheral vision on their tail. It just comes automatic with me. That is just my own opinion, and saved me from bites, and even aggressive dogs that snarled, scared the daylights out of me, on some mountain walks. The tail tells all.
And speaking of Pit Bulls, I owned a Stratford Pit who was the gentlest dog I've ever owned. Gentler than my present Shiba with cats and curiosity. My Dalmatian bit my best friend, but I warned him minutes before he bit not to play with his ears. Some dogs can be the greatest friends but certain parts of his body is NO NO to all but the owner.
Also allow a dog to come to you to pet, rather than you to him which reduces a dogs fear.