Akashita is a yokai with an extremely large body, but it is hidden in a giant black cloud that only reveals its face and hands. The face of the monster is described as hairy, monstrous with a wide, ear-to-ear mouth that is always open with a large, long, bright red tongue extending out of the mouth. And the hands are large and hairy with long, sharp claws and look as big as meteors in the sky.
Its origin can be identified as Akaguchi appearing in older Edo period yōkai scrolls such as Bakemono no e. This youkai is called Akaguchi and Akashita.The name Akashita may be related to the shakuzetsujin ("red tongue god") guarding Jupiter's west gate. It may also be related to shakuzetsunichi, an unlucky day in Onmyouji.
Although some sources say that Akaguchi is simply a harbinger of bad luck, bad luck, and evil, other sources suggest Akaguchi as a protective deity. Akashita usually occurs during the summer months, when rain and water requirements are highest to ensure a successful growing season. Akashita are mainly known as punishers in water disputes. Because plenty of water is needed to rice fields, Japan's agricultural lands are interspersed by a series of interlaced aqueducts and canals that provide water for all farmers equally. However, during times of drought, a wicked farmer can open up the sluice gates and drain his neighbor’s water into his own field. Such serious crime can cost entire families a livelihood, and such criminals often face the fierce wrath of their neighbours. Water thieves who are never caught may think they got away with their crimes. However, it is believed that water thieves will be punished by Akaguchi. If these criminals get close to the flood gate, Akaguchi will appear using its giant red tongue to catch them, knock them up, and then devour them.
In the yokai references illustrated by the Yōkai Daizukan (Big Illustrated Yōkai Reference) (1973) and the Yōkai Daizenka and others by Arifumi Satō, it is explained that they are a yōkai that can stick its tongue out red sky in the evening and kidnap people. They say that the families of those kidnapped by an akashita will prosper later,
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