A student is missing in Japan. His family is pleading for help

An Alabama student disappeared while traveling in Japan with his family, and now, they are pleading with the public for clues as to where he went.

James “Weston” Higginbotham was last seen in the Kyoto area on May 29 and may be “emotionally distressed," his mother Nancy Higginbotham shared in a series of Facebook posts. The emotional distress may have stemmed from the family's extended trip together and bickering, his mother told USA TODAY on June 3.

She added that she has been working with the police in the area, who confirmed her son has not been arrested.

The 20-year-old is a student at Auburn University in Alabama, his mother told USA TODAY on Wednesday, June 3. She said the family is on a high school graduation trip for her other son that began on May 22. Made up of Higginbotham, his younger brother, his mother and father, the family was supposed to head back to the U.S. on June 4, but the trip has been extended since Higginbotham went missing.

The missing student's mother said they were still in Kyoto as of June 3. The day was hard for the family as dozens of officers searched by foot, helicopters searched over the hills behind Bishamondo and volunteers helped as well. They still haven't found Higginbotham.

“We don't plan on leaving until we find our son," she told USA TODAY.

The search will resume on June 4 in the area north of Yamashina, she said.

Alabama State Rep. Mike Shaw said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, June 2, that he and State Rep. Susan DuBose, have been in touch with the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Birmingham, Alabama, which reports to the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta. 

“We understand that the appropriate resources are engaged and searching for Weston,” Shaw wrote.

Auburn University said in a June 3 statement to USA TODAY that the school has reached out to Higginbotham's family to offer support.

USA TODAY on June 3 contacted police in Kyoto and the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Birmingham, Alabama for updates on the case.

Where was Higginbotham last seen?

Nancy Higginbotham said that the family last saw her son around 6:30 p.m. on May 29. The family had just arrived in Kyoto and they’d eaten at a restaurant.

By then, the family had already been on their trip together for six days, so they decided to take some space from one another, his mother said. While she went with her husband and her younger son to see a temple, Higginbotham stayed at the hotel. He then got on a train and explored the area.

Police have reviewed surveillance footage to narrow down her son’s last location, his mother said in a Facebook post. He was last seen getting off a train at the Yamashina station in Kyoto Prefecture. According to his mother, he is “a very experienced hiker” and may have gotten off at that station because of the town’s trails.

“This town has beautiful nature trails,” she wrote. “He may have intentionally chosen a quiet trail from Yamashina, especially Bishamon-do, Lake Biwa Canal, Misasagi, Keage/Nanzen-ji, Kyoto Trail, Mount Otowa, or Daigo/Kami-Daigo.”

Based on the information the family and police have gathered, Higginbotham's activities the rest of the day include:

• 8:15 p.m. - He arrived at Kyoto station.
• 8:29 p.m. - His phone lost its signal.
• 8:33 p.m. - He arrived at Yamashina station, then headed towards the hiking trails.

“He may be emotionally distressed, so this is urgent,” she wrote.

She described her son as standing at 6-foot-1 with long blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a shirt that says "Save the Bees" with two bumblebees, lavender corduroy pants with a large cuff, white Adidas sneakers with black stripes and wide shoelaces, and a shoulder bag with the state of Alabama on it.

Missing student is a triathlete, loves nature, 'has a heart of gold', mom says

Higginbotham is a junior biosystems engineering major at Auburn University, per the school's statement this week. His mother said he is slated to graduate in 2028. He has plans to go to graduate school.

She said in a Facebook video on June 2 that her son is “a great kid” who “has a heart of gold.” He is "very well travelled and an excellent navigator," she said.

He's an "avid hiker" and has been to Colorado, France and Spain. He's also a triathlete and just ran his first Ironman triathlon race, his mother said.

"He has always been one with nature ... with the earth," she said.

'We are in our own living hell': Mother pleads for help finding son

His mother asked community members to check hotels, hostels, capsule hotels, internet cafés, manga cafés, train stations, convenience stores, hiking areas, rivers, shrines and other places.

She said he may be in places like Kyoto, Otsu, Lake Biwa, Yamashina, Shiga, or train lines heading east from Kyoto.

Nancy Higginbotham said it has been tough to get coverage in Japanese media outlets, so she is asking everyone who comes across articles and posts about him to share them.

“We need to spread it over to the citizens of Japan so they can be looking out for Weston,” she told USA TODAY. “Weston is very distinct looking … He's just a tall kid. He's very lean. He’s just got a funky little style to him.”

She said citizens in Japan have been extremely helpful and she’s appreciative of their assistance handing out posters, searching and interpreting for the family.

Closing one of her recent posts, his mother asked community members to “be kind.”

“We are in our own living hell,” she wrote. “Please … I'm already in so much pain.”

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [email protected].