A ,i>maiko is an apprentice geiko (a type of geisha) in Kyoto, western Japan. Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the shamisen (three-stringed Japanese instrument) for visitors during feasts. Maiko are usually aged 15 to 20 years old and become Geiko after learning how to dance (a kind of Japanese traditional dance), play the shamisen, and learning Ky?-kotoba (dialect of Kyoto), regardless of their origins.