family pleads – One week after 20-year-old Auburn University junior James “Weston” Higginbotham vanished while hiking in Japan with his family, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, is urging hikers and trail runners to search beyond the marked zone around Kyoto’s Yamashina area. T
For the seventh day, the silence around James “Weston” Higginbotham has not lifted. On a Facebook post marked “Day 7,” his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, asked hikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts to help expand the search in the mountainous region surrounding Kyoto, Japan.
“Our 20-year-old son, Weston Higginbotham, remains missing,” she wrote. “We are asking experienced hikers to help search outside of the marked search zone, particularly in the surrounding mountains and remote trails.”
The request lands with a sharpened sense of time. The family said Japanese police recently provided a map showing areas that have already been searched in the mountainous forest region near Yamashina. Kyoto. where Higginbotham was last known to have traveled. Nancy Higginbotham added that the terrain is steep. densely wooded. and difficult to navigate—conditions that raise the concern he may have gone farther than expected.
She framed the challenge in practical terms for anyone considering a search. While the region has plentiful water sources, food is scarce, making each day more urgent as the search moves into its second week.
The family said Higginbotham may have pushed deeper into the surrounding mountains. In the post, they described him as an experienced hiker. They also told the public that anyone with information—or those willing to help search—should contact his father, Keith Higginbotham.
“Any information, no matter how small, could help bring Weston home,” Nancy Higginbotham wrote.
Search efforts already underway, family asks for more eyes
The search began after Higginbotham disappeared on May 29 while vacationing in Japan with his family. According to statements previously shared by his mother, police used surveillance footage to help trace his movements after he separated from family members shortly after arriving in Kyoto.
Authorities and volunteers have spent days searching the region around Yamashina. The family’s new push centers on the remaining gaps they believe may exist beyond the official search perimeter.
A local hiker who is familiar with the area added another layer of urgency in the Facebook post. The warning described the mountains around Yamashina as deceptively dangerous. saying even experienced locals avoid lesser-known trails without proper preparation and that fatalities happen each year when people stray onto infrequently used paths.
That same warning referenced recent bear sightings in the area.
Students’ experience and the details that could matter
Higginbotham is a junior biosystems engineering student at Auburn University. His mother has previously described him as an avid outdoorsman, an experienced traveler, and a triathlete who is comfortable navigating remote environments.
In asking for help, the family included identifying details meant to help people recognize him quickly. Higginbotham is described as 6-foot-1 with long blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a “Save the Bees” shirt. lavender corduroy pants. and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes. carrying a shoulder bag featuring the state of Alabama.
As the search reaches into its second week. Nancy Higginbotham said raising awareness remains one of the family’s top priorities. The family has repeatedly asked people to share social media posts and news coverage in hopes of reaching more residents across Japan who may have seen Higginbotham or recognize his description.
“We don’t plan on leaving until we find our son,” she previously told a reporter.
A week in, the plea keeps expanding
While search operations continue around Kyoto, the family’s message has become harder and more specific: keep looking beyond the lines already marked.
Asked for additional information on June 5 by a reporter covering the case, Nancy Higginbotham did not immediately respond.
Auburn University Weston Higginbotham missing student Japan search Kyoto Yamashina Nancy Higginbotham Keith Higginbotham biosystems engineering hiking missing person
Why not search closer to where he was last seen? Seems simple.
I saw something about Kyoto and immediately thought it was like, tourist trails only?? If he went off the marked zone that’s scary. Hope they find him.
If food is scarce and it’s steep, he probably could’ve just turned around and got lost right? Like one wrong turn and BAM. Not saying it’s his fault but the map thing confuses me.
This makes me mad at the police a little not gonna lie. Like if they already mapped searched areas then why aren’t they doing more? Also “Day 7” posts always feel like people are waiting for a miracle. Praying for the family anyway.