US student missing in Kyoto, Japan for over a week

James 'Weston' Higginbotham, a 20-year-old student from Auburn University in the US, has been missing in Japan since May 29, 2026. He was last seen in the Yamashina district of Kyoto, and the case has drawn international media attention.

A 20-year-old American university student has been missing in Japan for over a week, with no confirmed sightings since May 29, 2026. James "Weston" Higginbotham, who studies at Auburn University in Alabama, was last seen in the Yamashina district of Kyoto before his whereabouts became unknown.

The case has attracted widespread international attention, with foreign media outlets picking up the story amid growing concern from his family and fellow students. Authorities in Japan are actively involved in the search, though no significant breakthroughs have been reported publicly as of the time of writing.

Yamashina is a residential district in eastern Kyoto, situated near several hiking trails and mountainous terrain, which has historically complicated search efforts in missing persons cases in the region. It remains unclear what circumstances led to Higginbotham's disappearance or where he may have gone after he was last seen.

Auburn University is located in Auburn, Alabama, and Higginbotham is believed to have been in Japan as part of travel during a break from studies. The US Embassy in Tokyo has been informed of the case, and family members are reportedly cooperating with both American and Japanese authorities to locate him.