American missing in Japan found dead in mountainous area near Kyoto
James "Weston" Higginbotham's cause of death has not been released.
By Othon Leyva and Nadine El-Bawab
June 7, 2026, 6:47 AM
An Auburn University student missing in Japan since last week was found dead by volunteers searching a mountainous area near Kyoto, his mother said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
James "Weston" Higginbotham, 20, was reported missing on May 29 while on a trip with his family, after he stopped responding to his family's messages on the phone and turned off his location, according to authorities.
"The grief we feel is impossible to put into words," his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said Saturday.
"We shared our story here and in the media in the hope of finding Weston," Nancy Higginbotham said. "We now ask for privacy as we begin to navigate this unimaginable loss."
'Highly probable' that American missing in Japan left intentionally: Police
The Alabama native's cause of death is unclear at this time.
Higginbotham was found dead on Saturday afternoon in the mountains of Yamashina Ward in Kyoto, police told ABC News.
An official at Kyoto Prefectural Police headquarters said Higginbotham's remains were discovered by volunteer searchers around 2:35 p.m. local time.
Police had been searching a mountain in the Yamashina Ward, where some of Higginbotham's belongings were found and where he was last seen alive on security video.
Police said there is no indication of foul play.
Police previously told ABC News they believed it was highly probable Higginbotham left his family intentionally. At the same time, police said they remained concerned for his safety because he did not speak Japanese and may not have known his way around.
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"We are forever grateful for the time we had with our sweet, precious Weston, but cannot begin to understand what life without him will be like," Nancy Higginbotham said.
On Thursday, investigators in Japan said they believe it is highly probable the biosystems engineering student left his family intentionally, but police were concerned for his safety, Kyoto Prefectural Police told ABC News.
Police had expressed concern for his well-being because he did not speak Japanese and was unfamiliar with the area.
