Share and Follow
Auburn University student missing in Japan during family trip
Amidst the bustling, serene backdrop of Kyoto, Japan, a family vacation has turned into a desperate search for answers. Nancy and Keith Higginbotham are currently seeking help to locate their son, James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham, a 20-year-old student from Auburn University who has mysteriously disappeared. The last trace of him was on May 29th, when his phone suddenly went silent, triggering an urgent and widespread search effort.
James, known for his love of hiking and adventurous spirit, set off alone after a minor family disagreement during their trip. His parents believe that he may have needed some solitary time, possibly due to emotional distress, though they are keen to stress that their son is an experienced traveler and excellent navigator.
In an interview with “FOX & Friends First,” the Higginbothams shared more about the events leading up to their son’s disappearance. “We decided to separate,” Nancy explained. “We’d been bickering a bit, just the usual family stuff, and thought it best to have some space. He’s 20, well-traveled, and a great navigator, so we weren’t worried when he went his own way by the river while we visited the temples.”
She further clarified that the disagreements were typical of any family sharing close quarters on vacation, noting the challenges of six days together in a hotel with only twin beds. Despite the ordinary nature of such disputes, the situation has taken a worrying turn with James’ absence, prompting the family to reach out for any assistance in locating their son.
She added that it was the normal kind of bickering a family may experience on vacation, noting they had spent six days sharing twin beds in a hotel room.
James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, vanished in Japan during a family trip, according to his mother. Police believe his last known location was Yamashina Station, east of Kyoto. (Facebook/Nancy Higginbotham )
The family was able follow him on Life360, a phone app that enables families to track each other’s location, Nancy Higginbotham said. It showed Weston was by the river and went to a couple of stores before he boarded a train. Then his location went “completely dark,” she said.
When asked about her post on social media that said Weston may have been emotionally distressed at the time he went missing, Nancy Higginbotham said her son “just needed time by himself.”
His family believes he may have been seeking nearby nature trails when he went missing on May 29. (Facebook/Nancy Higginbotham )
“We just needed some separation,” she said. “And so his happy place is going on a trail or just going on a hike, and so we just all needed just a little bit of time away. It’s not an abnormal thing to want time. When you’re 20, you’re an adult. You can do that.”
Weston is described as standing 6 feet 1 inch tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. His mother said he was last seen wearing a shirt with “Save the Bees” printed on the back, lavender corduroy pants and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes. He was carrying a shoulder bag featuring the outline of the state of Alabama.
Weston was last seen wearing a shirt with “Save the Bees” printed on the back, lavender corduroy pants and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes, according to his mother. (Facebook/Nancy Higginbotham )
Nancy Higginbotham has been sharing updates about the search on her social media, writing that dozens of police officers, K-9 units and helicopters have been combing the wooded region for Weston.
The area around Yamashina includes several popular hiking routes, temples and forested paths, including trails leading toward Mount Otowa and the Kyoto Trail network.
The parents praised Japanese police, the U.S. Embassy in Japan and the FBI as “wonderful” for their efforts in the search.
“They deployed another 50 police officers, and I was told that, you know, they had mud up to their chest … and they had the canine dogs, and they had the helicopters today,” Nancy Higginbotham said.
She said the family is still hopeful Weston will be found alive despite being missing for nearly a week, adding that her son “is built to endure.”
“The water is very fresh here; he has plenty of water to drink,” she said. “And he knows how to forage; he can survive. He is out there and we are going to find him.”
<!–>
–>