Hikers to Aid Search for Missing American 20-Year-Old Man

By Barrier Free Japan

June 6 2026

KYOTO – The weeklong quest to find James “Weston” Higginbotham has yielded no signs of the 20-year-old, CNN has reported. Now, with the permission of Japanese police, the student’s family has made a public plea for any experienced hikers to aid in the search through treacherous terrain. That search will begin Saturday.

Weston, an Auburn University student in Japan with his family to celebrate his brother’s high school graduation, disappeared May 29, after an argument with his mother. He went off on his own, and the location app on his phone was turned off.

If you have any information about James Higginbotham, please call the Higashiyama Police Station in Kyoto at 075-525-0110.