Missing Son in Japan
Hoover, Alabama Family Seeks Public Help for Son Missing During Japan Trip
A 20-year-old Alabama college student named James "Weston" Higginbotham has been missing in Japan since May 29, 2026 — more than 110 hours as of June 3. Weston, from Hoover, Alabama, was last seen on surveillance cameras exiting Yamashina Station, one stop east of Kyoto, at around 8:29 PM local time, when his phone went dark ABC News 4.
His parents, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, are now physically searching wooded areas near the station. "We will not lose hope," Nancy said, calling the ordeal "our own living hell" Idaho News. The family is asking the public for help finding their son.
Last Seen at Yamashina Station on May 29
The Higginbotham family arrived in Japan on May 25 for a graduation trip Newsweek. On May 29, Weston chose to explore Kyoto on his own while his parents and brother visited temples. That afternoon, he made his last known purchase at a Kohnan hardware store in the Kyoto area. At 8:15 PM, CCTV caught him at Kyoto Station.
Fourteen minutes later, at 8:29 PM, his phone lost its signal. Investigators believe he was heading east by train at that moment — likely on the Biwako Line or Kosei Line The Independent. Surveillance footage later confirmed he exited at Yamashina Station, but it is unclear if he boarded another train after that.
Family Files Report at 2 AM, Searches Through a Typhoon
After hours of unanswered messages, the family filed a missing-person report with Japanese police at 2:00 AM on May 30 Fox 17. Search efforts began immediately but were made harder by a typhoon hitting the region in the days that followed.
Despite the storm, Nancy and Keith searched wooded trails near Yamashina using headlamps and flashlights. The area sits close to rugged hiking spots including Mount Otowa and the Kyoto Trail. Friends and volunteers believe Weston — an experienced outdoorsman and Ironman triathlete — may have set out for a night hike KOMO News.
Who Weston Is: An Auburn Engineering Student and Athlete
Weston is a student at Auburn University studying environmental engineering. He stands 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighs about 175 pounds, and has long blonde hair and blue eyes IBTimes UK. He was last seen wearing a white "Save the Bees" T-shirt, lavender corduroy pants, and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes.
His mother has pushed back against online speculation that he wandered off irresponsibly. "He is not detained from a night out partying. The police have confirmed this," Nancy said Hindustan Times. She described him as an honors student and passionate environmentalist.
Alabama Lawmakers Engage Diplomats as Search Widens
Alabama State Representative Mike Shaw, who chairs the Japan Legislative Exchange, said he and Representative Susan DuBose have contacted Mark B. Jackson, the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Atlanta. "Japan is one of the safest countries in the world," Shaw said, adding that "the appropriate resources are engaged" Newsweek.
Back in Alabama, a prayer vigil was held at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham on June 2. Online, Auburn students and Kyoto-area volunteers have organized physical search parties near Yamashina Station. A Facebook page for Weston's search has drawn widespread attention across the U.S. and Japan WGME. Anyone with information is urged to contact local Kyoto police or the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
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