巫女・神子|みこmiko[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noun, Shintomiko; shrine maiden; young girl or woman (trad. an unmarried virgin) who assists priests at shrines
2. nounmedium; sorceress; shamanessalso 巫

• Synonym巫かんなぎWrittenArchaic, written word for a shaman who serves the gods and conveys their will, of either sex; 「巫女」 today mostly means the red-and-white shrine assistant.
• Synonym巫者ふしゃWrittenRare written term, mostly academic, for a shaman or medium; unlike 「巫女」 it does not specifically mean a shrine maiden.
• Related市子いちこWrittenOld-fashioned word for a folk medium who summons the spirits of the dead and speaks for them — a different figure from the shrine maiden 「巫女」.
• Related霊媒れいばいNeutralNeutral term for a medium who relays messages between spirits or the dead and the living, with an occult flavor; 「巫女」 usually means a shrine assistant.
• Related霊能者れいのうしゃNeutralModern colloquial term for a person said to have psychic powers; the focus is on psychic ability, not shrine service like 「巫女」.

Default to 「巫女」 for the red-and-white shrine maiden (「巫女さん」, 「巫女舞」) or an ancient female shaman. 「巫」 is an archaic, written word for a shaman of either sex, 「巫者」 rare and scholarly, 「市子」 a folk medium who summons the dead, 「霊媒」/「霊能者」 mediums and psychics.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. みこ。神かみに仕つかえる女性じょせいで、神楽かぐらを舞まったり神託しんたくを伝つたえたりする者もの。近代きんだいでは神社じんじゃで神主かんぬしを補佐ほさする女性じょせい。