Unlike mushadokoro (place where Samurai of guard of the Imperial Palace is staffed) or takiguchi, hokumen no bushi were each a class of shogun or high-level officers with certain number of samurai, and the samurai force they led when they suppressed the masses at Enryaku-ji Temple in 1118, is said to have numbered one thousand.
北面の武士は、武者所や滝口とは異なり、それぞれがある程度の武士団を従える将軍、高級将校クラスであり、1118年の延暦寺大衆を鎮圧したときに彼らが率いた武士団は1000人にも及んだと言われる。