Search Expands in Japan as Weston Higginbotham Remains Missing

A 20-year-old Auburn University student, James 'Weston' Higginbotham, has been missing for a week in Japan after an argument with his mother; he was last seen near the Kyoto–Shiga border, with CCTV showing him walking toward a forested hiking area. Japanese volunteers will help search the rugged Higashiyama mountains this weekend, aided by a GoFundMe that has raised over $40,000. A Tokyo businessman is closing his shop for a week to assist, and volunteers are providing transport and translations for Weston’s parents as the family appeals for experienced hikers to join the effort after authorities scaled back the search amid treacherous conditions from a recent typhoon.