An American college student, widely regarded as ‘excellent’ by those who know him, has mysteriously vanished while vacationing with his family in Japan.
James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham was last seen in Kyoto, a popular destination for tourists, on May 29, according to his concerned family.
The 20-year-old student from Auburn State University in Alabama embarked on the trip with his family on May 25, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, revealed in a heartfelt Facebook post.
James was last spotted wearing a distinctive outfit: a white T-shirt with a ‘Save the Bees’ graphic on the back, lavender corduroy pants, and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes. He also carried a shoulder bag emblazoned with the state of Alabama, as detailed on a dedicated website set up to aid in the search efforts for him.
Described as 6 feet 1 inch tall with long blonde hair and blue eyes, James may have been experiencing emotional distress at the time of his disappearance, according to information on the website.
His parents, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, are currently in Japan, actively seeking any leads on their son’s location. They are appealing to the public for any information that could assist in finding him.
‘Please be kind. We are in our own living hell. He is not detained from a night out partying. The police have confirmed this. Please, I beg you, be kind. I’m already in so much pain,’ Nancy wrote online.
His last confirmed purchase was at a Kohnan hardware store in Kyoto. He then arrived at the Kyoto train station, but his phone lost connection around 8.29pm local time, according to the website.
James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham went missing while on a trip with his family in Japan
His mother and father, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, are currently searching for their missing son in Japan and have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. (Pictured: James and Nancy)
Surveillance footage obtained by police showed James getting off at Yamashina Station, which is five minutes from the first train, Nancy said on Monday night (7am Tuesday in Japan).
‘It is unknown whether he later got back on a train,’ the website detailed.
His family and friends have requested that anyone in the area search hotels, cafes, hostels, train stations, stores, and even the ‘deep woods’ for their son.
According to James’ description and his mother’s social media posts, he is an ‘experienced hiker with an excellent sense of direction.’
His heartbroken mother also noted for people not to publicly share her son’s location if they locate him, and to instead call local police ‘immediately’ before messaging her.
His last confirmed location was in Kyoto, a popular tourist location, on May 29. (Pictured: Stock image)
The young man, who is 6ft 1in tall, also has long blonde hair, blue eyes, was wearing a shoulder bag ‘with the state of Alabama on it’, and ‘may have been emotionally distressed,’ a website read
She added: ‘I know there is a typhoon currently hitting, but I will be there today searching the woods today.
‘My husband and I went last night with flashlights and headlamps and didn’t get too far because we weren’t prepared for the wildlife we encountered. If anyone wants to join us after the storm, I would be grateful.’
The website provides multiple contacts to reach out to, including Nancy’s personal email and phone number, the number for the Yamashina Police Station, and others.
A prayer vigil is being held on Tuesday at 6.30pm at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham for the Higginbotham family.
