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u/Exotic-Slip-464

r/Kyoto r/japannews r/missing r/KyotoTravel
Image 1 — Search Party
Image 2 — Search Party
▲ 204 r/Kyoto

Search Party

緊急要請- 行方不明者搜索
7日目-ウェストン・ヒギンボサム、京都山科山地で行方不明
ハイカー、トレイルランナー、アウトドア愛好家の皆様、どうかご協力をお願いいたします。
20歳の息子、ウェストン・ヒギンボサムが行方不明です。最後に確認されたのは、京都山科山地付近の山林に入った時です。
本日、察から既に捜索済みのエリアを示す地図（下の地図で丸で囲まれた部分）が提供されました。経験豊富なハイカーの皆様には、この地図で示された捜索区域外、特に周辺の山々や人里離れたトレイルの捜索にご協力をお願いいたします。
この地域は非常に険しく、起伏が激しく、森林が密集していることをご承知おきください。多くの場所で標高差が大きく、植生が密生しており、足場が不安定です。ウェストンは経験豊富なハイカーであり、予想以上に山奥まで入ってしまった可能性があります。
捜索開始から7日目です。周辺地域には水源はありますが、食料は限られているため、できる限り迅速に捜索を続けることが非常に重要です。
捜索にご協力いただける方、または情報をお持ちの方は

u/Exotic-Slip-464 — 5 days ago
▲ 668 r/Kyoto

Update from last night

Update: It’s 11:15 pm in Kyoto on June 4th. We started interviews at 3am and had 10 total. It’s been a long, stressful day.

Today, dozens of Japanese police officers searched through waist-high mud in an effort to find Weston. Search dogs and helicopters were also deployed. We had to wait in the apartment during the search.

The search was extensive, and the officers were incredibly thorough in the difficult conditions. Based on what locals witnessed today, we have GREAT confidence in the professionalism and dedication of the Japanese authorities and do not believe any area within the search zone was overlooked. They are meticulous.

The area where we believe Weston is missing has ample water and limited berries. There is still hope.

The police will reconvene tomorrow to come up with another plan to include watching additional CCTV footage to follow up on another lead. They are also deploying a smaller team to the forest.

We were able to get Weston’s story on several Japanese networks today to include CNN, CNN Tokoyo, Japan Times and local Kyoto news. Keeping his story alive is essential. Some interviews we can keep it together, some we are so numb that we hardly have emotion, and some we just break down in desperation.

The local residents have continued to be so helpful spreading the word. People are passing out flyers at the Yashamina train station, coming to our apartment to map out our next hiking sections, and 100s of texts a day of people offering to help.

But we could not keep up this pace if it weren’t for your encouraging messages, prayers, ideas and connections. Our emotions are all over the place and every time we lose hope for a second, we receive an encouraging message from you. It keeps us going.

We will find Weston.
#kyoto #westonhigginbotham #japan #kyototravel

u/Exotic-Slip-464 — 5 days ago
▲ 472 r/Kyoto

Search & Rescue Weston Higginbotham

It’s 8:45pm on June 3rd. This was an unimaginably hard day.

Unfortunately, the authorities did not find Weston today.

Dozens of officers were searching by foot, and helicopters were searching over the hills behind Bishamondo. Later, a helicopter was also seen near the Otowa area before returning toward Bishamondo. This is the area located north of Yamashina.

Volunteers came to help and the police worked tirelessly.

The search resumes tomorrow as this is a large area.

I want to thank the Japanese government and police, the FBI, US Embassy, our Alabama government, the wonderful Japanese volunteers, and our friends that have gone above and beyond for their support today as I know the amount of resources they are pouring into finding our son is immense.

We will continue to have hope, and we will find Weston.

#japantravel #japan #kyoto #KyotoJapan #Bishamondo #westonhigginbotham #Missingperson #CNNInternational #NBCNews #usembassy
#FBI

u/Exotic-Slip-464 — 7 days ago
▲ 0 r/Kyoto

****URGENT SEARCH PARTY YAMASHINA***

URGENT SEARCH HELP NEEDED IN YAMASHINA, KYOTO

https://preview.redd.it/mzg0266avr4h1.jpg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a322535dfef29b188bbb48668b1c0aa1d89b646c

My son, James “Weston” Higginbotham, age 20, is missing in the Yamashina area of Kyoto.

We urgently need help organizing a search party after the rain and dangerous weather conditions pass. We are especially asking experienced local hikers, trail runners, outdoors people, and anyone familiar with the wooded and mountain areas around Yamashina to help us search safely.

Please do not enter dangerous areas during the typhoon/heavy rain. Current conditions in Yamashina are rainy, with more rain expected through the afternoon, so safety has to come first.

Areas of concern:
Yamashina area
Deep wooded areas
Mountain trails
Remote reas near train lines, stations, rivers, bridges, tunnels, trailheads, shrines, temples, and places where someone could go to be alone

If you can help search, please comment or message me with:
Your name
Your phone number
Whether you speak Japanese, English, or both
Whether you know the Yamashina trails/woods
Whether you have hiking/search experience
When you are available

Please search in pairs or groups only. Wear proper shoes, bring a charged phone, flashlight, rain gear, water, and share your location with someone. If you find anything that may belong to Weston, do not touch or move it. Take a photo, mark the exact location, and immediately contact us and the police.

Yamashina Police Station: +81-75-575-0110. For police emergency in Japan, call 110. For ambulance/fire/rescue, call 119.

Please share this with Kyoto hiking groups, Yamashina community groups, expat groups, university groups, trail running groups, and anyone in the area. We are desperate to find our son.

I will FOREVER be grateful to the poeple in Japan for all of their help. I couldn't have done it without the citizens of Japan and the endless efforts to help. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about how great you have all been to

Japanese version:

緊急：京都市山科区で捜索協力をお願いします

私の息子 James “Weston” Higginbotham、20歳が、京都市山科区で行方不明になっています。

雨と危険な天候がおさまった後、安全に捜索を手伝ってくださる方を緊急に探しています。特に、山科周辺の山、森林、登山道、奥まった道に詳しい方、登山経験者、トレイルランナー、地元の方に協力をお願いしたいです。

台風や大雨の最中に危険な場所へ入らないでください。安全を最優先にしてください。

探してほしい場所：
山科周辺
深い森林
山道
人通りの少ない道
駅、線路沿い、川、橋、トンネル、登山口、神社、お寺、人が一人になれるような場所

捜索に協力できる方は、コメントまたはメッセージで以下を教えてください。
お名前
電話番号
日本語、英語、または両方が話せるか
山科周辺の道や山に詳しいか
登山や捜索の経験があるか
協力できる時間

必ず2人以上のグループで行動してください。歩きやすい靴、充電した携帯、懐中電灯、雨具、水を持ってください。もしWestonの物かもしれない物を見つけた場合は、触らず、動かさず、写真を撮り、正確な場所を記録して、すぐに家族と警察に連絡してください。

山科警察署：+81-75-575-0110
緊急の警察通報：110
救急、消防、救助：119

どうか京都、山科、登山、外国人コミュニティ、大学、トレイルランニングのグループに共有してください。息子を見つけるために、皆様の助けが必要です。

reddit.com
u/Exotic-Slip-464 — 8 days ago
▲ 373 r/missing+1 crossposts

URGENT MISSING PERSON- KYOTO

​​
***** We have narrowed it down to Yamashina station per CCTV*****
My son, James "Weston" Higginbotham, age 20, is missing in Japan. He was last confirmed in the Kyoto area on May 29, 2026. We are on a family trip since May 25th.

Last known/confirmed information:
• Last confirmed purchase: Kohnan / hardware store in the Kyoto area
• Last phone/location activity: evening of May 29
• He arrived at Kyoto station on 05/29 around 8:15pm and his phone lost network at 8:29pm. It looks like he ws on a local train (subway type) on the Biwako Line (also referred to as the Takaido Main Line) or the Kosie Line. He wa headed east toward Tokoyo direction.
• He is American and speaks English
• He may be emotionally distressed, so this is urgent

Description:
• Name: James "Weston" Higginbotham
• Age: 20
• Height: 185cm (6' 1")
• Hair: Blonde Long
• Eyes: Blue
• Clothing last seen wearing: Shirt (white front, on the back it says "Save the Bees" with two bumblebees), Lavender corduroy pants with a large cuff, beat up adidas white with black stripes and wide shoelaces)
• Bag: Shoulder bag (not backpack) with the state of Alabama on it
• Phone: location turned off

Please check:
• Hotels, hostels, capsule hotels, internet cafés, manga cafés
• Train stations and platforms
• Convenience stores
• Hiking areas, rivers, bridges, temples, shrines, parks, and quiet areas
• Any place near Kyoto, Otsu, Lake Biwa, Yamashina, Shiga, or train lines heading east from Kyoto

If you see him, PLEASE DO NOT POST HIS EXACT LOCATION PUBLICLY. Please call local police immediately and then message me directly.

Police report has been filed. Any sightings, CCTV information, train/hotel/hostel leads, or advice from locals would mean everything to us.

Please share this in Kyoto, Japan travel, expat, hostel, hiking, and local community groups.

He is a vegan, in college studying environmental engineering and is an excellent student, very well travelled and an excellent navigator.

Contact:
Nancy Higginbotham
WhatsApp +1(205) 215-8888
nancyhig@gmail.com

Please be kind. We are in our own living hell. He is not detained from a nght out partying. The police have confirmed this. Please, I beg you, be kind. I'm already in so much pain.

 

reddit.com
u/CbearKing — 8 days ago
▲ 65 r/Kyoto

Urgent Need for English Japanese Interpreter

Hello. We urgently need an English Japanese interpreter in Kyoto today for a missing person situation involving our son. We need someone in person for the full day to help us speak with police, train stations, hotels, stores, taxi companies, and local authorities. This is urgent and sensitive. Please tell us immediately if you have anyone available today, their hourly or full day rate, and how soon they can meet us.

Japanese version:

こんにちは。
本日、京都で英語と日本語の通訳を緊急でお願いしたいです。息子が行方不明になっており、警察、駅、ホテル、店舗、タクシー会社、関係機関とのやり取りを手伝っていただける方を探しています。
対面で一日同行できる通訳者が必要です。
本日対応可能な方がいるか、料金、何時に合流できるかを至急教えてください。
とても緊急で深刻な状況です。よろしくお願いいたします。

reddit.com
u/Exotic-Slip-464 — 9 days ago
▲ 31 r/KyotoTravel

Missing College Student

Weston
20 years old
American
Kyoto, Japan, but got on a train heading east at Kyoto station
Date last seen: May 29 at 6:30pm
6'1" (185 cm), 72.5 kg, blond long hair, both ears pierced, last seen wearing a white t-shirt with the back saying "Save the Bees" and lavender corduroys with a big cuff
Police has been notified
Please contact the local authorities.
His family is very worried. Please call with any information.

u/Exotic-Slip-464 — 11 days ago