Miko are young girls working at Shinto shrines, usually in menial positions selling charms or cleaning the grounds. They are easily recognizable by their white haori jacket, red hakama pants and ribbons in their hair. The modern miko is likely just a university student working a part-time job, but historically, miko were much more involved in the religious activities of Shinto, albeit in some rather dark ways. Miko were selected and trained from a young age to be interpreters for the gods, which meant allowing themselves to be possessed by spirits. As Shinto has become more tradition than religion, many of these practices have been stripped away.