Tragic End to Search: Missing Auburn Student Weston Higginbotham Found Dead in Kyoto Mountains

Update - June 6, 2026 — Alabama college student James “Weston” Higginbotham, who vanished during a family vacation in Kyoto, Japan, has been found dead after an eight-day search that spanned dense mountain terrain, police dogs, helicopters and hundreds of volunteers, according to a statement from his mother, Nancy Higginbotham. Higginbotham, 20, was a junior environmental-engineering major at Auburn University and an avid hiker known for solo treks in the Pyrenees. On May 29 he stepped off a train at Kyoto’s Yamashina Station to “blow off steam” after a family disagreement and was captured on CCTV walking toward a popular forest trail. When his Life360 location abruptly shut off and repeated calls went unanswered, his family alerted Japanese authorities, triggering a multinational manhunt backed by the FBI and the U.S. Embassy. Typhoon-fed rain, steep ravines and thick bamboo slowed search teams, but hope remained high until Saturday morning, when a volunteer mountain-rescue group discovered a body matching Weston’s description roughly three miles northeast of Yamashina’s trailhead. Japanese police later confirmed the identity; no foul play is suspected at this time. An autopsy is pending. In a Facebook post, Nancy Higginbotham thanked “countless strangers across Japan who handed out flyers in the rain, translated at police stations and prayed with us in the streets.” More than $56,000 raised on GoFundMe will be redirected to cover repatriation costs and, the family says, to establish a scholarship honoring Weston’s passion for sustainable engineering. Auburn University President Christopher Roberts called Higginbotham “a rising star whose commitment to climate solutions inspired classmates and faculty alike,” and the Spain Park High School community in Hoover plans a candlelight vigil Sunday at 7 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to wear green, symbolizing Weston’s love for nature. Travel-safety advocates urge international hikers to keep phones charged, share live locations continuously and carry satellite beacons in regions with unreliable cell coverage. The U.S. State Department’s STEP program also allows travelers to register itineraries with local embassies for rapid assistance during emergencies. Anyone wishing to support the Higginbotham family may donate through the verified GoFundMe link listed on the “Support the Search for Weston Higginbotham” page, which remains active for memorial contributions.