Akitas are a "double coated" breed, much like Siberian Huskies, Malamutes and Samoyeds.  These dogs have a top coat called guard hair, and a soft, dense undercoat.  The under coat is nature's insulation, that cools and warms the akita. About twice a year, Akitas shed or "blow" their coats. The amount of hair they let go can be surprising. Regular brushing or blowing out with a forced air dog dryer (outside, of course) helps keep the dog hair dust bunnies down, but for a few weeks each "blow" there is a considerable amount of coat shed.
Anita Palmer shared this photo of the result of a good brushing!
Chrissy Delgado shared this photo of one of her Akitas next to fur she brushed out!