A weeklong search for a missing 20-year-old American university student traveling in Japan ended tragically after his body was discovered in a rugged highland territory outside Kyoto.
James “Weston” Higginbotham, an Auburn University junior from Hoover, Alabama, was last seen on May 29 near Kyoto’s Yamashina area after separating from his family while they were visiting Japan to celebrate his younger brother’s high school graduation. Authorities said his phone later stopped transmitting location data, and relatives believed he may have headed toward nearby hiking trails.
Security cameras captured the student at a Kyoto transit hub around 8:15 p.m. on the night he vanished, shortly before his mobile phone disconnected from cellular networks. Investigators tracked his final movements to the Yamashina district, where he was believed to have entered a densely wooded park containing local hiking paths.
The initial emergency response featured a massive three-day effort by Japanese law enforcement, which deployed over 100 personnel, tracking dogs, and helicopters. Operations were severely impeded by rough topology and torrential downpours brought by a passing regional storm. Following the conclusion of the official police campaign, the family organized a private rescue mission utilizing commercial tracking specialists and local residents.
His body was discovered by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous region near Kyoto, according to statements from his family. Japanese police, aided by K-9 units, helicopters and dozens of officers, had searched the area for several days before volunteers continued the effort. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, confirmed the discovery via a social media post, stating, “Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto.” She added, “The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.”
The cause of death has not been released and authorities have not provided additional details about the circumstances surrounding his death, but have stated that no criminal activity is currently suspected. An investigation remains ongoing.
Editorial credit: Tsuguliev / Shutterstock.com