Also *Bishamonten 毘沙門天. Sk: Vaisravana. A fierce guardian deity believed to protect the north of Buddha's realm. Known as Tamonten when represented as part of a group of Four Guardian Kings *Shitennō 四天王; known as Bishamonten when worshipped as an independent deity or as one of a group of ten deities *jūniten 十二天. Usually wears armor yoroi 鎧, holds a stupa and a halberd hoko 戟, or hōbō 宝棒, in his hands, and stands on a demon *jaki 邪鬼. The independent deity Bishamonten is frequently flanked by attendants *kyōji 脇侍 called *Kichijōten 吉祥天 and Zennishi dōji 善膩師童子.
Japan's oldest Tamonten statue, holding a stupa and spear, forms part of the mid-7th century shitennō group in Hōryūji *Kondō 法隆寺金堂, Nara. A good example of an independent Bishamonten statue is the 10th-11th century painted wood statue in Kegonji 華厳寺, Gifu Prefecture, and a Bishamonten figure flanked by two attendants can be seen in Sekkeiji 雪蹊寺 (13th-14th century), Kōchi Prefecture.