The parents of an Auburn University student who disappeared during a family holiday in Japan have said they are “in our own living hell” as they join desperate efforts to locate him. James “Weston” Higginbotham, a 20-year-old graduate of Spain Park High School in Alabama, went missing on 29 May from the Kyoto area in southern Japan.
His parents, Nancy and Keith, posted on Facebook that police have tracked some of his movements and understand he got off a train at Yamashina Station, although they do not know if he boarded another train. “Please be kind. We are in our own living hell,” his mother wrote. “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.”
Higginbotham is an experienced hiker and may have “intentionally chosen a quiet trail”, his mother added. She said he might be “emotionally distressed” and stressed the urgency of the search amid concerns over a major storm lashing Japan. “I know there is a typhoon currently hitting, but I will be there today searching the woods,” she wrote. “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.”
Storm Jangmi, previously a typhoon and now a tropical storm, battered Okinawa on Monday but is now heading towards the Kansai region, which includes Kyoto. Higginbotham is described as 185cm tall, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a white shirt reading ‘Save the Bees’, lavender corduroy trousers, and worn white Adidas shoes, along with a shoulder bag bearing the state of Alabama. He is studying environmental engineering and is described as an excellent student and a good navigator.
The family has been on a trip since 25 May. Higginbotham arrived at Kyoto station on 29 May at around 8:15 p.m. and lost network on his phone at 8:29 p.m. His family say it appears he was on a local subway train heading east towards Tokyo. In an emotional video update on Facebook, the couple thanked all those who helped in the search. “We want to thank you all so much from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of love and prayers,” they wrote. “We’ve been touched by the support from our friends, family, government, and even those who don’t know us from the U.S. and from Japan. It helps keep us positive and strong.”
