UMVA has learned that a 20-year-old American student, James "Weston" Higginbotham, went missing in Japan nearly a week ago during a family vacation, sparking a massive search effort.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Weston had been traveling with his parents, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, in the Kyoto area when he decided to venture out alone after a family dispute.
The Higginbothams revealed that they had been experiencing normal family bickering on their vacation, leading them to decide to separate and do their own thing. Weston, an experienced traveler and navigator, chose to explore the area around Yamashina Station, east of Kyoto.
Nancy Higginbotham explained that they had been tracking Weston's location through a phone app, Life360, which showed him heading to the river and visiting a few stores before boarding a train. However, his location suddenly went "completely dark," leaving his family frantically searching for him.
Weston is described as standing 6 feet 1 inch tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. His mother said he was last seen wearing a distinctive shirt with "Save the Bees" printed on the back, lavender corduroy pants, and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes, carrying a shoulder bag featuring the outline of the state of Alabama.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Weston's family has been sharing updates on the search efforts, which have involved dozens of police officers, K-9 units, and helicopters combing the wooded region. The area around Yamashina includes several popular hiking routes, temples, and forested paths, making it a challenging search.
The Higginbothams have praised the Japanese police, the U.S. Embassy in Japan, and the FBI for their efforts in the search, describing them as "wonderful." Despite being missing for nearly a week, the family remains hopeful that Weston will be found alive, with his mother saying, "He is built to endure."
Nancy Higginbotham expressed confidence that her son can survive in the wilderness, saying, "The water is very fresh here; he has plenty of water to drink. And he knows how to forage; he can survive. He is out there and we are going to find him."
