Search Intensifies For Auburn Student Missing In Japan

An Auburn University student has vanished in Japan on a family vacation without a trace.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, a 20-year-old from Birmingham, has been missing since May 29. Higginbotham never returned from a train station in the Kyoto area. His mother, Nancy, said in a Facebook post her son may be in “emotional distress,” calling the search “urgent.”

Weston decided to go explore on his own after an argument with his mother, saying he needed some space. Nancy told CNN she grew concerned when his phone location was turned off. She told the outlet that a disagreement arose between them over the use of ChatGPT to help navigate their trip.

“It’s not unusual for Weston to blow off steam going to the woods and just exploring. That’s his happy place,” Higginbotham told CNN. “I’m thinking … he’s just off in the woods, and he got lost.”

Reality quickly set in by 2 a.m. local time. Weston’s parents reported him missing, and Nancy and Keith are not leaving Japan until their son is found. Their determination to find their son is helping the search for him grow.

Local police said Weston left Kyoto Station alone at 6 p.m. Friday and was last seen on surveillance footage around 8 p.m. in Yamashina. Weston was on a path that led to a hiking trail in the nearby woods, per CNN.

Now dozens of Japanese authorities are assisting in the search in the Yamashina area as it approaches the one-week mark.

“As the missing young man is unfamiliar with the area, we consider it vital to locate him as soon as possible and are doing everything possible to ensure his safe recovery at the earliest opportunity,” a Kyoto prefectural police officer in charge of the case told CNN.

Crews on Thursday were forced to search through waist-high mud for Weston after a typhoon hit the area earlier in the week.

Weston’s mom said in a statement that search dogs and helicopters have also been deployed, adding that the area where she believes Weston is missing has plenty of water and some berries for food.

“There is still hope,” Nancy said.

The heartbroken mother is encouraging Americans to share Weston’s photo on social media. She said that is the best way to get his face out to people in Japan. The search will resume on Friday, with Japanese police planning to use additional surveillance footage to follow up on another lead. Nancy added that authorities are also deploying a smaller team to the forest.

“Our emotions are all over the place and every time we lose hope for a second, we receive an encouraging message from you,” Nancy said. “It keeps us going. We will find Weston.”