{"id":1209,"date":"2026-06-04T18:35:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T18:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1209"},"modified":"2026-06-04T18:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T18:35:32","slug":"alabama-family-pleads-for-return-of-son-missing-on-family-trip-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1209","title":{"rendered":"Alabama family pleads for return of son missing on family trip in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nancy Higginbotham wasn\u2019t worried when her 20-year-old son got on a train by himself during their family vacation in Japan. James, who goes by Weston, is an experienced traveler and often goes exploring alone. But when his phone\u2019s location turned off, she knew something was wrong.<\/p>\n

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The Alabama family had been traveling in Japan for a week by then. But travel frictions arose: Weston, a passionate naturalist, had butted heads with his mother over her use of ChatGPT \u2013 and the natural resources such AI requires \u2013 to navigate their journey. Needing some space, he decided to explore Kyoto on his own while the rest of the family visited a nearby temple, Higginbotham said.<\/p>\n

That was May 29. They haven\u2019t seen Weston since, sparking a frantic search by authorities in a mountainous, forested part of Japan \u2013 during a typhoon.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s not unusual for Weston to blow off steam going to the woods and just exploring. That\u2019s his happy place,\u201d Higginbotham told CNN. \u201cI\u2019m thinking \u2026 he\u2019s just off in the woods, and he got lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to leave (Japan) until we find Weston,\u201d she added, nodding to a search that now also includes Japanese police, civilian volunteers and the FBI.<\/p>\n

The family from Birmingham started its Japan vacation on May 22, Higginbotham said. Before Kyoto, they visited several other cities, including Tokyo, in a trip celebrating the high school graduation of Weston\u2019s 18-year-old younger brother.<\/p>\n

Weston is a junior at Auburn University studying environmental engineering. His mom described him as \u201cthe lover of Mother Nature,\u201d a vegan who has plenty of experience outdoors, including solo hiking the Pyrenees mountains in Europe. It runs in the family, she said, and they often go mountain biking, hiking and white water rafting together.<\/p>\n

Weston typically shares his location with his family on the app Life360, which offered some clues to his whereabouts before he went missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we were visiting a temple, Weston gets on a train,\u201d Higginbotham said. \u201cWe\u2019re texting him, saying, \u2018Hey, where are you?\u2019 You know, \u2018What are you doing?\u2019\u201d The family saw through the app that Weston stopped by a few stores before jumping back on the train \u2013 then his location was turned off.<\/p>\n

That was alarming and \u201cso out of character,\u201d Higginbotham said. He had never turned off his location before. By 2 a.m., with no sign of Weston, the family reported him missing to local authorities.<\/p>\n

He had about 10,000 Japanese yen (about $62.50) on him, and a phone at 34% battery before his location was lost, his mom said.<\/p>\n

Weston left Kyoto Station alone at 6 p.m. that day, according to local police. He was last seen around 8 p.m. on CCTV footage, walking alone in the city\u2019s Yamashina area \u2013 on a path that led to a hiking trail in the nearby woods.<\/p>\n

Though the Yamashina train station is fairly small, it\u2019s connected to four train lines and is one stop away from Kyoto\u2019s main station. The Yamashina area lies on the border between Kyoto and Shiga prefectures and is surrounded by mountains, including the heavily forested Higashiyama mountain range.<\/p>\n

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A typhoon that approached Kyoto on Tuesday brought heavy rains and concerns for Weston\u2019s safety if he was in the mountains at the time, police said \u2013 though they added it\u2019s possible he had already moved from the mountain.<\/p>\n

Since Wednesday, police have deployed dozens of officers, several police dogs and a helicopter to search the Yamashina area, with the search scheduled to continue Friday.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs the missing young man is unfamiliar with the area, we consider it vital to locate him as soon as possible and are doing everything possible to ensure his safe recovery at the earliest opportunity,\u201d said the Kyoto prefectural police officer in charge of the case.<\/p>\n

Authorities are treating his disappearance as a missing persons case, as there is currently no evidence suggesting there has been a crime, the officer said.<\/p>\n

\u2018I need him back\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

The family is trying to stay positive, but every day has been \u201cawful,\u201d Higginbotham said. One of the worst moments was bagging up Weston\u2019s clothes and giving them to police for sniffer dogs to use. \u201cAnd then I think \u2013 it\u2019s raining, how are they going to find him? How are the dogs going to pick up his scent?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery single second you think about your kid, and then you have the flashbacks of when he was 2, when I was breastfeeding him, the birthday parties we\u2019ve thrown for him, the hikes that we\u2019ve taken,\u201d she added, growing emotional. \u201cI want that back. I need him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family has been in touch with the US embassy in Japan and the FBI, which is assisting in the search, Higginbotham said.<\/p>\n

When asked for comment, the FBI told CNN that it is \u201cready to assist our international partners with any requests for assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

CNN has sought comment from the US State Department.<\/p>\n

Ordinary Japanese civilians have also pitched in to help. \u201cIt almost brings me to tears, of what these Japanese people have done for us,\u201d Higginbotham said, describing volunteers who traveled hours by train to hand out flyers, or who helped act as translators at various police stations.<\/p>\n

None of Weston\u2019s credit cards have been used and his outdoors experience has equipped him with good survival skills, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have all the hope that he\u2019s going to be found somewhere,\u201d said Weston\u2019s father, Keith. \u201cHe pops up at another train station, I don\u2019t know \u2013 but until we find him, one way or another, he\u2019s out there, he\u2019s moving somewhere, and we\u2019re going to find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, back home, his community waits for news \u2013 and prays for his safety.<\/p>\n

Auburn University is aware of Weston\u2019s disappearance and the school has reached out to the family to offer support, according to a statement to the university\u2019s student newspaper, the Auburn Plainsman. It did not provide further details, citing the family\u2019s privacy.<\/p>\n

Dozens of loved ones and friends gathered on Tuesday at a church in Birmingham for a vigil, according to CNN affiliate WVTM. His grandfather, Robert Holt, said the family was deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and described Weston as a strong young man who had just finished an Ironman triathlon.<\/p>\n

Family friend Clay Farrington said the community is determined to stand by the family during the heartbreaking uncertainty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love y\u2019all,\u201d Farrington told WVTM. \u201cWeston, if you see this, buddy, love y\u2019all. Can\u2019t wait to see y\u2019all back in Birmingham.\u201d<\/p>\n

The-CNN-Wire\u2122 & \u00a9 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Read more Melinda French Gates donates $215 million to improve women\u2019s health worldwide<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Alabama college student disappeared while exploring alone during a family trip to Japan. 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