James “Weston” Higginbotham vanished May 29 after separating from his family during a trip to Kyoto.
KYOTO, JAPAN — The mother of a missing Auburn University student said Friday that her family is hiring a professional search team after Japanese authorities found no trace of her 20-year-old son in the mountains east of Kyoto.
James “Weston” Higginbotham has been missing since May 29, when he separated from his parents and brother during a family vacation in Japan. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said police searched for three days with about 100 officers, dogs and helicopters, but did not find him. The case has drawn attention in Alabama and Japan because Higginbotham’s phone went offline within minutes of his last confirmed stop at Yamashina Station, a transit point near wooded hills and hiking areas.
Nancy Higginbotham said the family had been in Japan to celebrate her younger son’s high school graduation. The trip began in Tokyo and later moved to Kyoto, where the family had planned sightseeing stops. She said she and Weston argued before he disappeared, including over her use of ChatGPT while trying to navigate the country. “I was using a little bit too much ChatGPT,” she said. She described the topic as “a sore subject” because Weston, a biosystems engineering student, was concerned about artificial intelligence and water use. After lunch on May 29, Weston stayed behind while other family members visited a temple. By evening, his parents saw his location moving on a family tracking app but could not reach him by text.
Investigators later confirmed that Higginbotham reached Yamashina Station around 8:15 p.m. His phone lost network connection at 8:29 p.m., cutting off tracking through the Life360 app. Family members said he had about 10,000 yen, a phone with about one-third battery power and limited ability to speak Japanese. He was last reported wearing a white “Save the Bees” shirt, lavender corduroy pants, silver hoop earrings and black-and-white Adidas shoes. Police reviewed surveillance video, interviewed relatives, checked items he left behind and searched areas near mountain trails. Kyoto police have said they believe it is highly probable he left his family intentionally, but they also have said they remain concerned for his safety.
Nancy Higginbotham said her fear is not that Weston wanted to disappear forever, but that something happened after he entered difficult terrain. “My fear is that he got hurt and that he’s stuck,” she said. “My fear is that he doesn’t have enough food.” The area around Yamashina includes steep, heavily wooded hills, temple grounds, narrow trails and routes that can lead farther toward Shiga Prefecture and Lake Biwa. Severe weather from a recent typhoon brought rain and muddy conditions that slowed parts of the search. Family members have said Weston is an experienced hiker and endurance athlete, but they also said his silence is out of character.
Auburn University said Higginbotham is a junior majoring in biosystems engineering and confirmed that officials had contacted the family to offer support. The university said its thoughts were with Weston, his relatives, friends and loved ones. In Alabama, the case has touched the Hoover community, where Higginbotham graduated from Spain Park High School. Local officials and residents have shared updates from the family as relatives work with Japanese authorities, the U.S. Embassy and others. His parents, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, have said they are not leaving Japan without their son.
The next phase of the search is expected to rely more heavily on a private professional search and rescue crew. Nancy Higginbotham said police told the family they had completed the area they committed to search and had done a thorough operation over three days. She said the private search could cost more than $100,000. The family has also reviewed maps, surveillance footage and reports from people in the area. Relatives have asked that exact search locations not be spread widely online, saying public attention could help but uncontrolled details could complicate work on the ground.
Family members have tried to balance hope with fear as the days pass. Nancy Higginbotham said Weston had been emotionally distressed after the family disagreement, but she described him as gentle, principled and nonviolent. Friends said he loved nature and had been excited to see Japan’s outdoor areas. A childhood friend who had seen him during the trip said Weston did not appear to be planning to vanish. His mother has kept repeating that the family believes he can still be found. “We will find him,” she said.
As of Friday, June 5, Higginbotham had not been found, and no evidence of foul play had been announced. The family’s next milestone is the start of the private search effort in the Kyoto and Yamashina area.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.