James Weston Higginbotham, 20-year-old American student, disappeared in Quioto in Japão on May 29th. The young man was traveling with his family when he decided to explore the city alone after a disagreement. The mother reported that her son, known as Weston, turned off location sharing and was not seen again. Authorities are treating the case as a disappearance of a person, with no signs of crime so far.
Alabama’s North American family arrived at Japão on May 22 to celebrate Weston’s younger brother’s high school graduation. The group visited Tóquio and other cities before arriving at Quioto. Weston, a third-year environmental engineering student in Universidade of Auburn, is described by his mother as passionate about nature and experienced in outdoor activities.
Family Desentendimento precedes departure alone
Weston argued with her mother, Nancy Higginbotham, about excessive use of ChatGPT during the trip. The student, vegan and environmental defender, questioned the impact of artificial intelligence on natural resources. Ele took a train alone while the rest of the family visited a temple. The mother said that the young man usually explores alone and shares his location via the Life360 app.
- Weston stopped at a few stores before catching another train.
- The phone’s location was disabled around 8 p.m.
- Ele left Estação from Quioto around 6pm that day.
- Imagens’s security cameras recorded the young man walking in Yamashina’s area.
- The family notified Japanese police at around 2am the following morning.
The last image captured shows Weston heading towards a trail that leads to the Higashiyama mountain range, a densely forested region on the border between Quioto and Shiga. Ele was carrying around 10 thousand yen and the cell phone had 34% battery.
Buscas mobilize police, dogs and helicopter
Quioto police began operations the next day. Dezenas of agents, sniffer dogs and a helicopter search the mountainous area. The intense rains from a typhoon that hit the region complicated the work. Apesar Furthermore, searches continued on Friday.
Nancy Higginbotham highlighted the dedication of Japanese volunteers. Muitos traveled hours by train to distribute leaflets and act as translators. The family maintains contact with the American embassy and the FBI, which assists in the investigations. Weston has experience in solo hikes, including Pirenéus, which raises the hope that he will be able to manage in the forest.
Student’s Perfil reinforces survival expectations
Weston is an amateur triathlete and recently completed an Ironman. The family goes mountain biking, hiking and rafting together. The grandfather described his grandson as a strong and resilient young man. Na Universidade of Auburn, colleagues and the institution are following the case and offered support to the family.
Birmingham’s community at Alabama organized a vigil at a church. Amigos and relatives ask for information and send messages of support. The father, Keith Higginbotham, said his son could show up at another station or continue moving. Nenhum credit card has been used since disappearance.
Família decides to remain with Japão until the outcome
Nancy Higginbotham stated that they will not leave the country without their son. Ela recalls moments from Weston’s childhood and expresses daily pain. The mother handed the young man’s clothes to the sniffer dogs, despite the rain that can impair the animals’ sense of smell. Police consider it likely that Weston intentionally wandered away, but remain focused on quickly locating him.
Authorities ask that anyone with information contact Quioto police. Weston is 6’1″ tall, has long blonde hair and was wearing a white t-shirt with the phrase “Save the Bees”, lilac velvet pants and an Alabama-themed backpack when he was last seen.