Efforts Continue in Search for Missing Alabama Student in Kyoto

Rescue operations face challenges due to a powerful typhoon affecting the foothills near Kyoto, Japan. Teams are working tirelessly to locate James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham, an Alabama engineering student reported missing during his family vacation.

Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student, disappeared after taking a solo train ride to popular hiking trails on May 29. His family, who were visiting a nearby temple at the time, noted his location moving that evening but received no reply to their texts.

The student is described as an experienced hiker. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, emphasized his affinity for hiking, stating, “When he is going on a trail, that’s where he finds, like, his inner peace, and his quiet time.” This activity is considered to rejuvenate him.

Security footage captured Higginbotham leaving the Yamashina train station, his last recorded location. At the time, he wore a ‘Save the Bees’ T-shirt paired with lavender pants. Despite the circumstances, Nancy Higginbotham remains hopeful, asserting, “He has survival skills, and I don’t want anyone to doubt that if he is lost in the woods, he is still alive.”

Although scheduled to return home, the family insists on remaining in Japan until Higginbotham is found. “We’re not flying home tonight,” Nancy Higginbotham affirmed, with support from his father, Keith Higginbotham, who expressed the difficulty of leaving without their son.