Akuchu is one of the 63 germs written in Harikikigaki, a book of medical knowledge written in 1568 by an unknown resident of Osaka. This tiny malevolent creature is believed to have caused human illness during the 16th century in Japan. Akuchu is found in the spleen, and consumes rice eaten by the host. Drinking mokko is an effective antidote. Japan’s Kyushu National Museum holds a copy of the Harikikigaki — a 16th century medical text of unknown authorship which claimed that diseases were cause