From visiting significant shrines to tasting maple leaf delicacies, the region of Kansai is full of unique experiences to unearth. Traverse this sacred landscape via Japan’s expansive rail network.

End your rail journey in Kansai at Amanohashidate: the so-called ‘bridge to heaven’ — not actually a bridge, but a long, pine-forested spit, protruding out into the Sea of Japan.

JR Passes (and train travel within Japan) ... On my most recent trip to Japan, I discovered the JR Kansai Wide Area Pass, which was a way better fit for my trip itinerary.

West Nippon Expressway Co. plans to finish removing a heavily-damaged 2,000-ton girder on the causeway to Kansai International Airport, the nation's third-busiest air hub, by Friday.