Buddhist scriptures stored at Zojoji Temple in Tokyo have been registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World.

UNESCO's executive committee reached the decision at its meeting in Paris on April 17.

The Memory of the World Register includes documentary heritage from around the globe that the world body has deemed worthy of preservation.

The Three Editions of Buddhist Sacred Canons kept at Zojoji comprise about 12,000 volumes of woodblock prints made in China and Korea during the 12th and 13th centuries.

Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu collected the scriptures and donated them to the Buddhist temple during the 17th century.

The documents are recognized both in Japan and around the world as an essential resource for Buddhist studies.

UNESCO noted that the volumes "have been preserved in near-perfect condition."