The grounds of Kinkakuji temple, the Golden Pavilion, are covered with snow in Kyoto, Japan

Video. Watch: Snow carpets much of Japan amid record low temperatures

Tourists in Kyoto are snapping wintry scenes at shrines and the city's famous temples are covered in snow, as a winter storm hits large swathes of Japan. 

Tourists in Kyoto are snapping wintry scenes at shrines and the city's famous temples are covered in snow, as a winter storm hits large swathes of Japan. 

Much of the country has been blanketed by snow in a cold snap that has killed at least one person and disrupted travel.

Record lows were logged in several locations, including one area of southern Kumamoto, where the mercury hit -9 degrees Celsius (16 degrees Fahrenheit), the coldest temperature logged there since 1977 when that observation site began keeping track.

Top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said one person had died in the cold snap, while meteorologists warned of blizzards, high waves and traffic snarl-ups due to icy roads.