Higashimuro

Eastern Muro belonged to the Kumano country of southeastern Kii. At the mouth of the Kumano River, Shingū combined shrine-centred life with a port connecting the peninsula to coastal routes. Its medieval harbour preceded the early modern castle town. River transport and abundant mountain resources continued to shape the settlement after military government acquired a more visible presence.

Following the settlement of Kii after Sekigahara, Asano Tadayoshi began building Shingū Castle in 1601. The castle was temporarily abolished under the one-castle-per-province order in 1615, but rebuilding was permitted in 1618. In 1619 the Mizuno family replaced the Asano at Shingū as senior retainers attached to Tokugawa Yorinobu's Kii administration. The castle occupied a hill beside the river, with a waterside enclosure and harbour below. Charcoal storehouses there served shipments toward Edo. Shrine town, port and castle thus formed connected parts of eastern Muro's historical landscape, joining inland forest resources with coastal navigation and domain authority.