The castle's three-story wooden keep is one of only 12 original surviving castle keeps in Japan. It is also one of only five original keeps designated as National Treasures, together with Himeji, Matsumoto, Inuyama and Matsue castles. While many Japanese castles seen today are modern reconstructions, Hikone Castle preserves the atmosphere and construction techniques of the early Edo period. The wider castle grounds also remain important. The moats, stone walls and surviving structures show how early modern Japanese castles combined military defence with political authority and administrative control. The castle town that developed around Hikone also reflected the power of the domain, with samurai residences, merchant districts and roads arranged around the castle. Hikone Castle has long been regarded as a symbol of Shiga Prefecture and the Lake Biwa region. It is also a major tourist destination, known for its historic buildings, views over the lake and the surrounding Genkyuen Garden, a traditional landscape garden built for the Ii family.