Maiko are young women training in arts such as Japanese dance, shamisen (a Japanese instrument), and a traditional way of singing to become geisha, whose profession is to entertain guests at traditional Japanese-style restaurants. Their hairstyle varies slightly depending on how many years they've been training. However, their unique appearance with the red collar peeking from underneath a long-sleeved kimono and long dangling obi belt is exactly the same as girls who lived in the towns at the end of the Edo period (1603-1867). Because their dance was performed in dim candle-lit rooms at the time, they colored their skin white to make it look beautiful. Makeup techniques of spreading hair oil on the face and applying special face powder remain the same today.