The Higginbotham family from Birmingham is urgently seeking 20-year-old James “Weston,” who vanished while exploring Kyoto on May 29. He was last seen on CCTV near Yamashina and his phone location stopped updating after several store stops. Kyoto police, search dogs and a helicopter are combing mountainous, forested areas despite a typhoon; the U.S. Embassy and the FBI are assisting. The family and local volunteers continue searching and hope for his safe return.
Alabama Family Appeals for Help Finding 20-Year-Old Son Missing in Kyoto
James "Weston" Higginbotham, an Auburn University student, went missing in Japan during a family holiday near Kyoto. - Nancy Higginbotham
ALBANY, Ala. — The Higginbotham family from Birmingham is urgently searching for their 20-year-old son, James “Weston” Higginbotham, who disappeared while exploring Kyoto on May 29 during a family vacation.
Weston, a junior in environmental engineering at Auburn University and an experienced outdoorsman, boarded a train alone that afternoon and later stopped at several shops. Family tracking via the Life360 app showed his movements until his location unexpectedly turned off; his phone displayed roughly 34% battery and he had about 10,000 yen (approximately $62.50) before the signal was lost.
James "Weston" Higginbotham (top left) and his family, who visited Japan for a graduation trip for his younger brother. - Courtesy Nancy Higginbotham
Last Known Whereabouts and Search Efforts
Local authorities say Weston left Kyoto Station alone at about 6 p.m. CCTV footage places him around 8 p.m. walking in the Yamashina neighborhood on a path leading toward a hiking trail into nearby wooded mountains. Yamashina sits at the border of Kyoto and Shiga prefectures and is surrounded by the forested Higashiyama range.
Kyoto prefectural police have deployed dozens of officers, search dogs and a helicopter to comb the Yamashina area. Officials say they are treating the case as a missing-person investigation because there is no current evidence of criminal activity. A typhoon that moved toward Kyoto brought heavy rain and complicated search conditions, especially in the mountainous terrain.
A missing person poster featuring James "Weston" Higginbotham. - Courtesy Nancy Higginbotham
Family Response and Assistance
"It’s not unusual for Weston to blow off steam going to the woods and just exploring. That’s his happy place," said his mother, Nancy Higginbotham. "We’re not going to leave until we find Weston."
The family reported Weston missing to local police by 2 a.m. on May 30 after his location stopped updating. They have provided clothing to authorities for scent-tracking dogs. The U.S. Embassy in Japan and the FBI are assisting with the investigation, and Auburn University has reached out to offer support to the family.
Community Support
Local volunteers in Japan have helped distribute flyers and act as translators, and friends and relatives gathered in Birmingham for a vigil. Family members and friends describe Weston as a dedicated naturalist and vegan with strong outdoor skills, including long solo treks in Europe and recent completion of an Ironman triathlon — details the family hopes increase his chances of being found safe.
Weston in a photo taken from a previous hike. He is an avid outdoorsman, often hiking and exploring alone. - Nancy Higginbotham
Authorities ask anyone with information about Weston's whereabouts, or who may have seen him in the Yamashina area on the evening of May 29, to contact Kyoto prefectural police. The family continues to hold out hope for his safe return and remains in Japan to assist the search.
Reporting contributions: CNN. This article has been edited for clarity and flow.
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