American student missing in Kyoto, search ongoing

A 20-year-old American student is missing in Japan, prompting an extensive search by local authorities and a desperate plea for help from his family. James Weston Higginbotham, an Auburn University student from Alabama, was last confirmed to be in Kyoto on May 29 while traveling with his family.

According to his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, surveillance footage reviewed by police shows her son getting off a train at Yamashina Station, located east of central Kyoto, on the evening he disappeared. Authorities have not confirmed whether he boarded another train after that point. His last known digital activity occurred shortly after he arrived at Kyoto Station around 8:15 p.m.; his phone lost network connectivity approximately 14 minutes later.

Higginbotham’s family believes he may have headed into the natural areas surrounding the station. His mother described him as an experienced hiker and environmental engineering student who may have intentionally chosen a quiet trail. Areas of interest include trails near Bishamondo, the Lake Biwa Canal, Misasagi, Keage, Nanzenji, Mount Otowa, and the Daigo and Kami-Daigo districts.

The search has been complicated by severe weather, including a...