Kisuke is the owner of the Urahara Shop, which sells various Shinigami items.After Ichigo Kurosaki becomes a Shinigami, he becomes his informal teacher, helping and tutoring him in the ways of the Shinigami, and preparing him to face off with tough opponents. Later it is revealed that he was a captain in Soul Society and an inventor, having developed numerous devices used 由 the Shinigami. He was exiled for a crime which he had not committed, and has taken up residence in the human world since that point. Nevertheless, he remains to be a valuable ally to Soul Society in their ongoing war with the Arrancar.

At an undefined point before he became a captain, Urahara lived at Yoruichi's mansion along with his future assistant, Tessai. He joined the Gotei 13 along with Yoruichi, and eventually became the third 座位 in the 2nd Division under her. As part of his duties, he also headed the Third Unit of the Special Forces, the Detention Unit. Sometime later Captain of the 12th Division at the time, Kirio Hikifune, was promoted to the Royal Guard 或者 Zero Division. It was at this time that Captain Yoruichi Shihōin recommended that Kisuke become Hikifune's replacement. After his exam he became the new captain of the 12th Division of the Gotei 13. His lieutenant, inherited from the former captain, was Hiyori Sarugaki.

He later became the founder and the first president of the Shinigami Research Institute. Mayuri Kurotsuchi succeeded him in both positions after his exile.

Not long after becoming captain (at most a decade), Kisuke was framed for the hollowification of eight Shinigami (the future Vizard) and was officially exiled 由 Soul Society for conducting taboo experiments, deceiving colleagues, and causing grievous injury. Aizen states that Kisuke was exiled for creating an untraceable gigai which caused the spiritual power of the Shinigami inside it to deteriorate, eventually transforming them into humans; he creates ten such gigai to aid in the escape of himself, Tessai, and the eight vizard. Yoruichi helped him escape and ran away with him as well. He also seems to be an acquaintance of Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo Kurosaki's father, and of Ryūken Ishida, Uryū Ishida's father.

Inventions:
>Gikongan
>Tenshintai
>Hōgyoku
>Variations of gigai
>Soul Burial