Soul Society

is the afterlife (also called the spirit world). It is meant to correspond to heaven or Nirvana in human belief systems. It is the place where most departed souls and the Shinigami dwell.

Overview
While Rukia Kuchiki initially describes Soul Society as something of a paradise, where nine out of ten times it is better than the living world and hunger is never a problem, Soul Society is portrayed as anything but sublime (having died as a baby, Rukia's lack of knowledge regarding the human world may have influenced her viewpoint). In fact, aside from the slowed aging and aforementioned lack of hunger, life there is much like that in the living world. Soul Society consists of two portions: Rukongai (Rukon District in the English version), a massive group of cities where most people live; and Seireitei (lit. Court of Pure Souls), a walled castle where the spirit world nobility and Shinigami live.

Though Soul Society is considered the afterlife, people are not immortal by any means, though aging is slowed to such an extent that lifespans of 2000 or more years are not unheard of. Such ages, however, are usually limited to Shinigami or other Soul Society dwellers capable of manipulating spirit energy. Children can even be born as they are in the human world. People can also be killed as regular humans are, though they are capable of surviving wounds that would normally be considered fatal. A soul that dies in Soul Society is reincarnated on Earth as a new human with no past memories.

Accessing Soul Society
Shinigami come and leave Soul Society by unlocking the using a. Pluses, on the other hand, enter Soul Society through the ritual of.

When people die they are assigned a number to a part of Soul Society according to when they died. Spirits can be born in soul society as much as in the living world with the shinigami acting to balance the souls.

Intruders can pass through the senkaimon in the same manner, but only in soul form. This allows spiritual beings, such as Ichigo in his Shinigami form, to enter without permission. Humans can also use such a gate through the use of, which convert solid matter into spirit particles. While this method uses the same gate, the lack of a Hell Butterfly forces intruders to pass through the, a bordering dimension between the human world and Soul Society (not to be confused with Hueco Mundo). This is much more dangerous to do, as souls that cannot pass through before the gate to Soul Society closes are trapped there forever.

Finally, hollows can also directly rip a hole to Soul Society from Hueco Mundo, or in the case of arrancar, using their ability, garganta.

When people die they are assigned a number to a part of Soul Society according to when they died. Spirits can be born in soul society as much as in the living world with the shinigami acting to balance the souls.

Government
Soul Society is ruled by a royal family, which is protected by a royal guard. Further down, Central 46 Chambers serves as a supreme judiciary and legislative that is second only to the royal family. The Shinigami enforce order in Soul Society as a sort of executive and military branch. All of the above, except the royal family and guard, reside in Seireitei.

The king and the royal family reside in a separate dimension in the very core of Soul Society, which can only be opened with a tri-pronged golden key fittingly named the. The location of this key is passed down verbally from one Gotei 13 commander-general to the next, the current holder being Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai. The king's practical role is unknown, as the Shinigami are governed largely by the Central 46 Chambers, nor has the king been implied to participate in any of their deliberations. According to Rangiku Matsumoto, no Shinigami in the Gotei 13 has ever seen the king.

Another part of the government are the, especially four of them, which are considered to be the highest of them all. The lower noble houses all serve one of the four each. Known Houses include:

Four Noble Families
1.) Shihōin Family: by tradition the head of the shihōin family leads the Special Forces, if they attain a Captain seat in the Gotei 13 the Special Forces are are lead under that Captainship as well. The 22nd Head of the shihōin clan and former Captain of the 2nd Division and General Administrator Commander of the Special Forces is Yoruichi Shihōin.

2.) Kuchiki Family: There is reason to believe that the Captainship of the 6th Division runs in the kuchiki family, as at least 2 members have held the title Captain. The 28th Head of the kuchiki clan and the Captain of the 6th Division is Byakuya Kuchiki.

3.) Unknown

4.) Unknown

Lower Noble Houses

 * Fon Family: traditionally serves the shihōin family by joining the Special Forces. Any member who doesn't pass the test to get into the special forces is immediately exiled from the family. The only known member of the house is Soifon, current Captain of the 2nd Division.


 * Kyōraku Family: a old and prestigious and high-ranking noble family. The only known member of the house is Shunsui Kyōraku, current Captain of the 8th Division.


 * Ukitake Family: a low-class aristocratic family. The only known member of the house is Jūshirō Ukitake, current Captain of the 13th Division.


 * Ōmaeda Family: a aristocratic, rich family. The only known member of the house is Marechiyo Ōmaeda, current lieutenant of the 2nd Division.


 * Kira Family: a lesser nobility family. The only known member of the house is Izuru Kira, current lieutenant of the 3rd Division.


 * Kasumiōji Family: a high-ranking noble family. That is just below the four great noble families in status, commenting that their circumstances are a bit "special". The Kasumiōji is well known as master forgers in the art of weapons crafting, making the finest weapons in all of Soul Society. The family is traditionally lead by a female. The only surviving member of the house is Rurichiyo Kasumiōji.


 * Kannogi Family: a high-ranking noble family. The only known member of the family is Shuu Kannogi.

Former Noble Houses

 * Shiba Family: The family was apparently the 5th Noble Family, having prestige along the lines of the Kuchiki and Shihōin family, for whatever reason the Shiba family fell from their high status position after the death of its most prominent member the former lieutenant of the 13th Division Kaien Shiba. The only surviving members of the house are Ganju Shiba and Kūkaku Shiba.

Rukongai
is the largest portion of Soul Society and the most populated. It is divided into 320 districts (80 in North Rukongai, 80 in West Rukongai, etc.), each numbered in descending order on how far they are from the center; this results in the higher-numerated (and farther) districts decaying into slums. Thus, while District 1 is peaceful and lawful, much like the antiseptic lifestyle of early-Edo Era Kyoto, District 80 is a hardscrabble, violent, crime-infested area that more depicts Heian era Kyoto. There is no indication that the Shinigami or any other agencies patrol the streets of Rukongai, and as a result, the citizenry are mainly responsible for their day-to-day welfare.

So far, only five names of Rukongai districts are known:
 * 1 -, part of West Rukongai
 * Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Momo Hinamori, and Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, the West Gate Keeper, came from here. When Ichigo comes to Soul Society, the spirit of Yūichi Shibata, the boy who inhabited Yasutora Sado's cockatiel, also comes to reside here. According to Sōsuke Aizen, West Rukongai is also the "headquarters" of Kisuke Urahara.
 * 3 -, part of West Rukongai
 * Kaien Shiba trained Rukia Kuchiki here on Mt. Koifushi.
 * 78 -, the South Alley of Flowing Spirits
 * Hisana Kuchiki was sent here with Rukia when they died. Both Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai grew up here.
 * 79 -, the North Alley of Loitering Spirits
 * Yachiru Kusajishi was found here by Kenpachi Zaraki.
 * 80 -, the North Alley of Loitering Spirits
 * Captain Kenpachi Zaraki originated from here.

Seireitei
is in the center of Soul Society, a circular shiro with four main entrances, each guarded by a Gate Guardian. The walls are made of deathstone, a material known to sap all spiritual and psychic energy when one portion is faced in a particular direction, similar to magnetic lodestones. The deathstone also forms a spherical barrier around the city, preventing anyone from entering anywhere other than the four gates.

The majority of the residents of Seireitei, nobility and Shinigami alike, do not interact with the citizens of Rukongai. However, residents of Rukongai, like Renji and Rukia, are allowed to apply for the Shinigami Academy, which is often the only escape from the poorest conditions of Rukongai. Some Seireitei residents, such as ex-commander of the Shinigami Special Forces, Yoruichi Shihōin, and the Shiba clan, do maintain residences outside the castle.

At the center of Seireitei are the, a white tower, and Hill, where executions take place.