Search for Auburn student missing in Japan enters second week as volunteers join hunt

The family of a 20-year-old Auburn University student who vanished in the mountains outside Kyoto last week has enlisted civilian volunteers to press ahead with the search, even as Japanese police say they believe he most likely left of his own accord.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, a junior studying biosystems engineering at Auburn, disappeared May 29 while on a family vacation in Japan. Before he went off on his own, he had been in an argument with his mother; the family had also been dealing with friction during the extended trip together. He was last spotted at Yamashina Station in Kyoto, and family members expressed concern that he could be emotionally distressed. 

Days into the search, Kyoto Prefectural Police told ABC News they believe it is highly probable that Mr. Higginbotham left his family intentionally, though officers said they remain concerned for his safety. Police added that if he is found, they will act according to his wishes and privacy, according to ABC News. 

Authorities deployed roughly 50 officers, K-9 units and helicopters to search a heavily wooded area near Yamashina, while investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage throughout Kyoto to track his movements. A typhoon that struck the region mid-week compounded the difficulty, with his father, Keith Higginbotham, telling CNN that officers returned from the field covered waist-deep in mud. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said police eventually had to scale back their resources from the search. 

With the official operation reduced, Ms. Higginbotham secured permission from Japanese authorities to organize a civilian search party. She released a map showing the area already covered by police and asked experienced hikers to focus on surrounding mountains and remote trails outside that zone. The family-organized search was set to get underway this weekend, according to CNN. 

The outpouring of public support in Japan has been significant. A GoFundMe campaign organized by the family’s community has drawn donations to help cover search-related expenses. Volunteers have also shown up in person — one man from Tokyo, Ms. Higginbotham said, announced he was closing his business for a week to travel to Kyoto and help search. “He wanted to do this because when he was in the United States, he had so many people helping him, and this is him paying it forward,” she said.

Mr. Higginbotham is a native of Hoover, Alabama. Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis said in a statement he is praying for the student’s swift return and for the family to receive every resource needed. 

Alabama state Rep. Mike Shaw said in a Facebook post that he and state Rep. Susan DuBose had been in contact with the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Birmingham, which reports to the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta. “We understand that the appropriate resources are engaged and searching for Weston,” Mr. Shaw wrote, as reported by USA Today.