University student reported missing while on vacation with family in Japan

KYOTO, Japan (WBRC/Gray News) - A search effort is underway in Kyoto, Japan after a university student went missing while visiting the country with family.

Family members say James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, went missing on May 29.

According to James’ mother, Nancy, the family arrived in Japan on May 22 to celebrate one of their children getting straight As throughout high school.

“Our family just has this thing where we’ve always told the kids, ‘If you make straight As throughout high school, you can pick anywhere in the world you want to go,’” Nancy Higginbotham explained.

She said their younger son is a straight-A student and wanted to go to Japan, so they ended up there as a family and had been having a wonderful trip.

“It’s been absolutely the most stunning country,” Nancy Higginbotham said, explaining how they began in Tokyo and visited a few other places before ending up in Kyoto.

Kyoto is where they are now after their son Weston went missing.

The Japanese government, authorities, and citizens in Japan have banded together to help search and support the family.

Alabama state representatives, the FBI, the U.S. Embassy, and community members in Alabama have been offering help as well.

The day Weston went missing

Nancy Higginbotham told WBRC Weston went out to explore on his own that Friday. She explained that their family is very well-traveled, and Weston has studied abroad, describing him as a “master navigator.” She said he is also big on using public transit and is in good physical shape, putting him in the position to be equipped to go out on his own in a different country, “especially one as safe as Japan.”

According to Nancy, CCTV footage showed Weston getting off a train in Yamashina, a ward of Kyoto.

Higginbotham said his last known purchase was made at a hardware store.

His family messaged Weston, asking what he was doing, but did not get a reply before the location on his phone turned off around 8:29 p.m. They have not heard from him since.

On June 3, Nancy Higginbotham spoke with WBRC and said that authorities were searching the Yamashina Woods earlier that morning. CCTV cameras helped authorities narrow his last known location to Yamashina Station.

Nancy Higginbotham said 50 local policemen, K-9 units, and helicopters started searching the wooded area north of the station around 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Support for the family, search efforts

Authorities and citizens have been supporting the family in multiple ways, offering to help where they can in the search efforts.

“Japanese citizens have been so amazing,” Nancy Higginbotham said. “They have come together like Weston is their child. I have people going on a train for three hours to help hand out flyers. It’s people just coming to translate, and to help and to go search in the woods.”

She explained the Japanese authorities have been wonderful as well in helping with the search. She credited the U.S. Embassy as well and other U.S. representatives for what they’ve done to support her family.

Community members from Alabama have also reached out, saying they’re praying and offering support, which Nancy Higginbotham says has meant a lot as they navigate this situation.

“You realize, community is everything,” she said. “People come together to help others deal with their tragedy and trauma - it’s absolutely incredible, but not just in the U.S. The Japanese citizens, I could cry telling you how wonderful they have been.”

On Tuesday night, June 2, a vigil was held at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham to pray for Weston Higginbotham and his family.

Nancy shared on her Facebook at 8:45 p.m. June 3, Japan time, saying that the search will resume on June 4 since the area they are covering is large.

Weston is a student at Auburn University. The school issued a statement, saying, “Our thoughts are with Weston, his family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time. University officials have reached out to the family and offered support.”

The school said Weston is a junior biosystems engineering major.