The best friend of an American college student who went missing while vacationing in Japan has shared details of their final contact, including an unanswered message sent after the student disappeared, as the search continues in Kyoto.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, from Alabama, went missing in Kyoto after reportedly stepping away on his own following a disagreement with his mother during a family trip.

Weston had been traveling with his mother Nancy Higginbotham, his father, and his brother Grayton to Japan to celebrate Grayton’s high school graduation. The family’s journey included stops in Tokyo and Kyoto, where they were also able to reconnect with an old family friend.

Hiyu Shikari, 20, who had known Weston since their school years in the United States before moving to Japan, met up with the family in Tokyo on May 22. Nancy Higginbotham shared video of their reunion on Instagram, showing Hiyu, Weston, and Grayton embracing and spending time together before heading out to dinner in Shinjuku.

According to Hiyu, that dinner was the first priority after their reunion.

“We had such a great time at a restaurant in Shinjuku, which is in Tokyo,” he told The U.S. Sun.

Hiyu said that after meeting Weston, he later tried to keep in contact as the family continued their trip to Kyoto, especially with a typhoon approaching and growing concerns about weather conditions.

“Right after that, I tried to contact him on how he was doing in Kyoto, because I was in Kyoto a couple of weeks ago, and also the typhoon was coming as I was kind of worried,” Hiyu said.

He added that he sent a message asking, “How’s the trip going?” after Weston had already gone missing, but received no reply.

“I didn’t get any contact with him after I met him,” he said. “I’ve been doing what I can to spread awareness.”

Hiyu also shared screenshots of earlier text exchanges with Weston, showing that he had previously told his friend to enjoy Japan and reach out if he needed anything. Weston reportedly reacted to one of those messages with a heart.

On Monday, Hiyu sent another message that went unanswered: “Good evening! How’s the stay going? Hopefully yall are having a good time in Kyoto! Lmk [Let me know] if you need me to recommend you any places.” The message did not appear to deliver to Weston’s phone.

Hiyu said nothing seemed unusual when they met again after years apart, describing Weston as excited for the trip and unchanged in personality.

“I saw him as a best friend, a brother,” he said. “He was such a nice friend and when I first met him, I felt like nothing has changed. He’s gotten taller, yes, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

During their reunion, the group reportedly talked about a wide range of topics, including politics, artificial intelligence, and global issues.

Weston’s mother later told CNN that tensions had developed during the trip after a disagreement over navigation tools, including ChatGPT. According to Nancy Higginbotham, Weston chose to separate from the family during a temple visit in Kyoto to “blow off steam.”

“It’s not unusual for Weston to blow off steam going to the woods and just exploring,” she said. “That’s his happy place. I’m thinking… he’s just off in the woods, and he got lost.”

The family used the Life360 tracking app during the trip, which helped investigators trace Weston’s final movements. He reportedly took a train from Kyoto Station around 8:15 p.m. to Yamashina Station, a short ride of about five minutes, and stopped briefly at several shops, including a hardware store.

At approximately 8:29 p.m., his phone lost network connection, and authorities believe he was last seen in the Yamashina area of Kyoto.

Since then, police, K9 units, and helicopter crews have carried out daily search operations in the surrounding mountainous and forested terrain.

Weston’s mother has also issued public pleas for help, urging hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to assist in the search after officials released updated maps of areas already covered.

“Hikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts — we urgently need your help,” she wrote. “Our 20-year-old son, Weston Higginbotham, remains missing.”

She added that Weston is an experienced hiker who may have intentionally chosen remote trails, but warned that the terrain is steep, rugged, and heavily wooded.

Search efforts have been further complicated by recent typhoon conditions, with heavy rain and mud slowing progress. Nancy Higginbotham said on Thursday that some officers had even walked through waist-deep mud during extended search operations.

Authorities continue to treat the case as an ongoing missing person investigation as the search for Weston Higginbotham expands across Kyoto’s mountainous regions.