The Seireitei is in the center of Soul Society, a circular walled city with four main entrances, each guarded by a Gate Watcher. 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 residents of Seireitei are both nobility and normal shinigami alike. The residents do not often interact with the citizens of Rukongai. However, residents of Rukongai are allowed to apply for the Shinigami Academy, which is often the only escape from the poorest conditions of Rukongai. Some Seireitei residents do maintain residences outside the Seireitei.
