US student, 20, found dead in Japan while on family holiday, had disagreed with mom before going off on his own

A 20-year-old American university student who went missing while on holiday in Japan has been found dead in a mountainous area outside Kyoto.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, an Auburn University student from Alabama, was found by a volunteer search-and-rescue group on Jun. 7, after he was last seen on May 29 near Kyoto’s Yamashina area.

Family is heartbroken

Kyoto police said Weston’s body was found at around 2:35pm on Jun. 7 by volunteers searching the mountains in the city’s Yamashina area, according to CNN.

Police added that no foul play is suspected, and said they would not disclose the cause of death.

“The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,” Nancy Higginbotham, Weston’s mother, said in a Facebook post.

"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."

Last seen on May 29

Weston had been in Japan with his parents and brother when he went missing on May 29, reported CNN.

His mother had earlier shared in a Facebook post on Jun. 6 that he was last seen entering the Higashiyama mountain range from the Yamashina Station area in Kyoto.

Weston had left his family to explore Kyoto on his own, after a disagreement with his mother over her use of ChatGPT to help navigate their trip.

His family later saw, through the Life360 location-sharing app, that he had taken a train and visited several stores.

They texted him to ask where he was going, but his location was turned off shortly after, which his mother said was out of character for him.

His parents believed he may have been heading towards a nearby hiking trail, according to CBS News. His mother had earlier said she feared he could have been injured or lost.

Search efforts involved police, dogs and helicopters

Search efforts were later focused on the wooded areas around Yamashina, where Weston had last been seen on CCTV walking alone towards a path leading to a hiking trail.

Police began searching the forest on Jun. 2, as reported by CNN, but the operation was affected by a storm that brought strong winds and heavy rain to the region that night.

A 72-hour police search, which involved more than 100 officers, K-9 units and helicopters, ended on Jun. 6.

His family then launched their own search effort on Jun. 7, with help from local residents and a hired search-and-rescue team, focusing on parts of the Yamashina forest that had not been covered by police.

In her Facebook post on Jun. 6, Nancy appealed to experienced hikers, trail runners, outdoor groups and locals familiar with the area to help search trails, wooded areas and remote sections of the Higashiyama mountain range.

Family asks for privacy

After Weston was found, his family thanked those who had helped share his story and supported the search.

“We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and helped in the search efforts,” Nancy wrote.

She added that the family had shared their story publicly in the hope of finding him, and asked for privacy as they deal with the loss.

His mother described him to CNN as someone who loved nature, hiking and learning about the world.

He had also become vegan about a year ago, as part of his focus on protecting the environment.

She said:

“He just loves to go outside and go for a walk at a trail or go for a small hike, no matter what time of day.”

She added that his dream was to travel and visit mountains and other places where he could experience different cultures.