An American family is urgently searching for their 20-year-old son, James Weston Higginbotham, who disappeared while traveling in Japan during a family vacation last week.

Weston, a college student at Auburn University, was last seen in the Kyoto area on Friday, May 29. According to local media reports, there has been no confirmed sighting of him since that day.

His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, shared an emotional update on June 2, describing the situation as an unbearable ordeal for the family. She stressed that her son was not detained after a night out and said Japanese authorities have confirmed he is not in custody.

The family had traveled from Alabama to Japan on May 25 to celebrate their younger son’s graduation, documenting parts of their trip on social media before everything changed days later.

Authorities reportedly confirmed that Weston exited a train at Yamashina Station on May 29. It remains unclear whether he boarded another train afterward, though his parents believe he may have headed toward a nearby hiking area, noting that he is an experienced hiker. His last known phone activity also occurred that evening.

Weston is described as 6 feet 1 inch tall, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with “Save the Bees” printed on the back and lavender corduroy pants. His family has expressed concern that he may have been emotionally distressed at the time of his disappearance.

Nancy has publicly pleaded for help in spreading awareness, writing that her “biggest hurdle” is ensuring local residents in Japan see her son’s photo and information. She has shared that she and her husband, Keith Higginbotham, have been actively searching for him despite difficult conditions in the region.

Their search efforts were recently hindered by a typhoon that swept through parts of Japan, bringing dangerous weather and making travel through rural terrain more difficult. Nancy said that when they attempted to search at night with flashlights and headlamps, they were forced to turn back due to wildlife and unsafe conditions.

In a later update on June 3, Nancy said Japanese officials had reviewed extensive CCTV footage and confirmed Weston’s last known location as Yamashina. She also noted that a large-scale search operation involving dozens of officers, K9 units, and helicopters was launched to comb through nearby wooded and mountainous areas, where steep and wet terrain has complicated efforts.

Despite the ongoing search, Weston has not yet been located. Nancy described the day as “unimaginably hard” but expressed gratitude for the support from local authorities, U.S. agencies, and others assisting in the case.

Alabama Representative Mike Shaw confirmed he has been in contact with U.S. and Japanese consular officials regarding the search and said that appropriate resources are currently engaged.

Both of Weston’s parents have remained hopeful. In a joint message, they described him as a kind-hearted young man with a strong spirit and said they are confident he will be found and brought home safely.