An Alabama family is asking for urgent help finding Weston Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student who went missing while on vacation in Japan. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said the family realized something was wrong after his phone location turned off, which was out of character for him.
Weston, who also goes by James, was last seen in Kyoto after leaving the family behind to spend time alone. His disappearance has triggered a large search effort in a mountainous and heavily forested area of Japan, with police, civilian volunteers and the FBI all involved.
How Weston disappeared in Kyoto
Nancy Higginbotham said Weston is used to traveling and often explores on his own, so his decision to take a train alone did not initially alarm the family. The trouble began when they lost track of him through Life360, the app the family usually uses to share location updates.
The family had been in Japan for about a week when Weston decided to go out alone while the rest of the group visited a nearby temple. Higginbotham said he had felt frustrated during the trip and wanted some space, so he headed into Kyoto by himself.
She said the family texted him while they were at the temple and saw on the app that he stopped at a few stores before getting back on the train. After that, his location was turned off, and the family reported him missing by 2 a.m.
What police know so far
Local police said Weston left Kyoto Station alone at 6 p.m. and was later seen on CCTV around 8 p.m. walking in the Yamashina area of Kyoto. That route leads toward hiking trails in nearby woods, and the region sits on the border between Kyoto and Shiga prefectures.
Authorities have focused their search on that area because it is surrounded by mountains, including the heavily forested Higashiyama mountain range. Police also said a typhoon brought heavy rain to the region, raising safety concerns if Weston was still in the mountains when the weather arrived.
Kyoto prefectural police said dozens of officers, several dogs and a helicopter have been used in the search. An officer handling the case said, “As the missing young man is unfamiliar with the area, we consider it vital to locate him as soon as possible.”
Police are treating the case as a missing persons investigation and said there is no evidence that a crime has taken place.
A student with outdoors experience
Weston is a junior at Auburn University studying environmental engineering. His mother described him as “the lover of Mother Nature,” and said he is a vegan who has spent years hiking, biking and rafting with his family.
She also said he has experience with solo outdoor travel, including hiking in the Pyrenees mountains in Europe. The family believes that experience may help him survive if he is still in the woods, but they worry about the conditions and the rain.
Before he disappeared, Weston had about 10,000 Japanese yen, or about $62.50, and his phone battery was at 34%, according to his mother. She also said none of his credit cards have been used since he went missing.
Family pleads for help
Nancy Higginbotham said the past days have been painful, especially as the family tries to stay hopeful. She said one of the hardest moments was giving police Weston’s clothes so sniffer dogs could use them in the search.
“We’re not going to leave (Japan) until we find Weston,” she said, adding that the family believes he may have simply gotten lost in the woods. Keith Higginbotham, Weston’s father, said the family still believes he could turn up at another train station and that they will keep searching until they know what happened.
The family has been in contact with the U.S. Embassy in Japan and the FBI, which told CNN it is “ready to assist our international partners with any requests for assistance.” CNN also said it sought comment from the U.S. State Department.
Support grows in Japan and Alabama
The search has drawn help from people in Japan as well as supporters back home in Alabama. Higginbotham said Japanese volunteers have traveled by train to hand out flyers and helped translate at police stations.
Back in Birmingham, relatives, friends and community members have also stepped in to help with search-related costs through a GoFundMe. Auburn University said it is aware of Weston’s disappearance and has reached out to the family to offer support, while keeping details limited out of respect for their privacy.
Dozens of loved ones gathered at a church vigil in Birmingham, where Weston’s grandfather, Robert Holt, described him as a strong young man who had just finished an Ironman triathlon. Family friend Clay Farrington said the community remains committed to standing by the family as the search continues in Kyoto.
Read more at: www.cnn.com-
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