Seireitei

Seireitei (瀞霊廷, Court of Pure Souls; Viz "Quiet Spirit Court") is a large city in the center of Soul Society and serves as the home of the Shinigami and the Noble Houses.

Overview

Seireitei is a circular shiro with four main entrances, ten days walk apart,^[1] each guarded by one of the Gatekeepers. These gates are collectively called the Four Great Pure Soul Gates (四大瀞霊門, Shidai Seireimon): these gates are made up of the Northern Black Ridge Gate (黒陵門, Kokuryōmon), the Eastern Blue Stream Gate (青流門, Shōryūmon), the Southern Red Hollow Gate (朱洼門, Shuwaimon), and the Western White Way Gate (白道門, Hakutōmon; Viz "White Road Gate").^[2][3] The gates are so heavy that it takes the full might of Jidanbō Ikkanzaka to lift one.^[4] There are, however, doors within the gates, to allow passage of individuals when needed, such as when Momo Hinamori first entered the Shin'ō Academy.^[5]

The walls of the Seireitei, known as the Seireiheki (瀞霊壁, Pure Soul Wall), are made of Sekkiseki (殺気石, Spirit Reducing Stone), a rare type of stone known to negate all Reiryoku, similar to magnetic lodestones. The stone also forms a spherical barrier known as the the Shakonmaku (遮魂膜, Soul-Warding Membrane; Viz "Soul Shield Membrane") around the city, extending above and below, stopping anything spiritual from breaching it from ground level, from the sky or from underground.^[6]

The wall that surrounds the Seireitei is commonly held up, only closing down when there is an emergency. When it is not down protecting the Seireitei, the wall protects the Soul King Palace, located in an inner dimension.^[7]

Information about the Seireitei is confidential. What is known is that in the center of the Seireitei is a white tower known as the Senzaikyū, where criminals are imprisoned; on the hill adjacent to it is the Sōkyoku, where prisoners are executed. Those permitted to live in the tranquility of the Seireitei are Shinigami and the Noble Houses. Shinigami live in the Division barracks, while high-ranking officers commute from their own homes.^[8]

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 Shin'ō Academy, which is often the only escape from the poorest conditions of Rukongai.

Following the Quincy War 1000 years ago, the Quincy who would later become the Wandenreich fled to the Seireitei and used Reishi to create space in the "shadows", effectively creating a world within the Seireitei, unseen to outsiders. These Quincy were able to move between their world and the Seireitei, as they were technically there to start with. The Wandenreich can absorb the Reishi particles of the Seireitei to reveal their hidden world. ^[9] The area is known as the Schatten Bereich (影の領域 (シャッテン・ベライヒ), Shatten Beraihi; German and Japanese for "Shadow Realm"), which Yhwach cannot leave for more than a certain period of time before having to retreat.^[10]

Seireitei Locations

Illustrated Guide to Seireitei
Senzaikyū (懺罪宮, Palace of Penitence; Viz "Repentance Palace")		Sōkyoku Hill
At the center of Seireitei is the large white tower of the Senzaikyū, which is linked to the Sōkyoku Hill where executions take place using the Sōkyoku (双殛, Twinned Punishment)
Central 46 Compound	Underground Assembly Hall	Seijōtōkyorin	Daireishokairō
The Central 46 Compound is a highly restricted underground complex and contains the Assembly Hall of the government of Soul Society and the Seijōtōkyorin, residential district for the Central 46, as well as the Daireishokairō, the repository of all the knowledge and history of the Soul Society
Shin'ō Academy	Zanjutsu Training Hall	Shin'ō Academy Classroom	Kidō Training Field
The Shin'ō Academy is the primary education center for prospective Shinigami. It specializes in teaching the four branches of Shinigami combat: Hohō, Kidō, Hakuda, and Zanjutsu.
1st Division Headquarters & Barracks	Captain-Commander's Yamamoto's Office	Captains' Assembly Hall	Lieutenants' Assembly Room
Location of the office & living quarters of the Captain-Commander, as well as the Assembly Hall where he addresses the captain's of the Gotei 13.[11] It is also the location for the lieutenants assembly.[12]
2nd Division Headquarters & Barracks	2nd Division Courtyard	Shihōin Crest Room	Nest of Maggots
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 2nd Division/Commander-in-Chief of the Special Forces. Also found within the 2nd Division grounds is the Nest of Maggots, a heavily guarded and secluded from the rest of the division buildings.
3rd Division Headquarters & Barracks
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 3rd Division
4th Division Headquarters & Barracks: Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho (綜合救護詰所, Coordinated Relief Station)
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 4th Division and also the primary medical facility of the Gotei 13 and all of Soul Society
5th Division Headquarters & Barracks
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 5th Division
6th Division Headquarters & Barracks			Byakuya's Office
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 6th Division
7th Division Headquarters & Barracks
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 7th Division
8th Division Headquarters & Barracks		Shunsui Kyōraku's Office/Room
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 8th Division
9th Division Headquarters & Barracks		Editing Department of the Seireitei Communication magazine
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 9th Division. The 9th Division also controls the editing department of the Seireitei Communication magazine
10th Division Headquarters & Barracks		Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Office
Location of the office & living quarters of the Captain of the 10th Division.
11th Division Headquarters & Barracks
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 11th Division
12th Division Headquarters & Barracks		Shinigami Research and Development Institute
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 12th Division, also controlled by the 12th Division is the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, which is the primary research and development facility of the Gotei 13 and all of Soul Society. The Charismatic Dr. Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Magical Clinic ((カリスマDr.[ドクター]涅マユリの マジカル☆クリニック, Karisuma Dr.[Dokutā] Kurotsuchi Mayuri no Majikaru Kurinikku) is also run by the 12th Division.
13th Division Headquarters & Barracks		Ugendō (雨乾堂, Rain Dried Hall) Quarters
Location of the office & living quarters of the captain of the 13th Division. Ugendō Quarters is set aside for use by Jūshirō Ukitake, the captain of the 13th Division. He is known to rest there to recover from his frequent bouts of illness.[13] The pond around the Ugendō Quarters is filled with Koi stolen from the Kuchiki Manor by Yachiru Kusajishi.[14]
Kuchiki Manor Compound		Shihōin Family Manor Compound	Kasumiōji Family Manor Compound
Ancestral seat and home of the Kuchiki family. It holds the single most complete and extensive archives detailing the history of Soul Society.		Ancestral seat and home of the Shihōin family.	Ancestral seat and home of the Kasumiōji family
Gin Tonbo	(The) Purgatory Company (煉獄商会, Rengoku Shoukai)	Shinigami's Health Land (死神健康ランド, Shinigami Kenkō Rando)	Tomorrow's Tiger Pharmacy (明日虎薬局, Ashita Tora Yakkyoku)
A store specializing in eye-wear that is very popular among the Shinigami of the Gotei 13.[15]	A mail-order business located minutes from Black Ridge Gate.[16]	A Spa to which Rangiku once took Hitsugaya.[17]	A pharmacy where Rangiku buys her make-up.[18]

Gatekeepers

The Four Great Seireimon (四大瀞霊門, Shidai Seireimon; Seirei Gates) are protected by the Four Great Seireimon Gatekeepers (四大瀞霊門門番, Shidai Seireimon Monban). They are all giants who have the strength to lift the gates made of Sekkiseki.

Gatekeepers
Gatekeeper	Gate Direction	Gate Name
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka	West	White Road Gate (白道門, Hakutōmon)[19]
Higonyūdō	South	Red Hollow Gate (朱洼門, Shuwaimon)[19]
Danzōmaru	North	Black Ridge Gate (黒陵門, Kokuryōmon)[19]
Kaiwan	East	Blue Stream Gate (青流門, Shōryūmon)[19]

Trivia

• In NO BREATHES FROM HELL, it is revealed that there is an Officer's Mansion District in the Seireitei where officers of the Gotei 13 live with their families.
  • Ikkaku Madarame has a martial arts dojo located there.
  • The Abarai Family Home is confirmed to be located there.
• In the light novels Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World by Ryōgo Narita as well as Bleach: WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU by Makoto Matsubara, the Seiretei is said to be broken up into various districts:
  • The Government District consists of the Central 46 Buildings.
  • Kizokugai is the Noble's District where all the nobility and the wealthy shops are located.^[20] There is a Sukiyamon (style gate) at the entrance.^[21]
    • Ryotei is a traditional fancy restaurant located in the 6th sector of Kizokugai.^[22]
    • The Kizokugai has a Central Pharmaceutical Institution that primarily treats the noble families.^[23]

Klub Outside Trivia

• According to Q&A #682 by Tite Kubo on his fansite "Klub Outside", while the Seireitei itself does not have any fields for cultivation or farming, there are "Seireitei territories" in various parts of Rukongai that are under control of the Shinigami, and where hunting, farming, livestock farming, and fishing are carried out.^[24]

References

Navigation

Locations
Human World	Kagamino City · Karakura Town · Karakura High School · Karakura Hospital · Kurosaki Clinic · Urahara Shop · Bount Mansion · Naruki City · London
Soul Society	Rukongai · Seireitei · Soul King Palace · Central 46 Compound · Nest of Maggots · Shin'ō Academy · Sōkyoku Hill · Gin Tonbo · Kuchiki Manor · Central Great Underground Prison · Wandenreich City · Silbern · Wahrwelt‎‎ · Western Branch · Reverse London
Hueco Mundo	Forest of Menos · Las Noches · Negal Ruins
Others	Hell · Dangai · Valley of Screams · Garganta · Primordial Sea