Parents of Alabama college student missing in Japan share fresh plea to find him

The parents of a 20 year old student missing from Alabama while holidaying in Japan have issued a fresh video message pleading with the public for any information relating to his safe return.

James 'Weston' Higginbotham, a student at Auburn University has been missing since May 29, when he disappeared after arriving in Kyoto’s Yamashina Ward.

His parents had initially described him as an 'experienced hiker', and believe that he was in search of walking trails, before vanishing.

The 20-year-old's phone location was turned off when he disembarked from a train in the region, and no contact has been made since.

Earlier this week, his mother Nancy Higginbotham begged the public to contact the police with any information, as she wrote on social media that "He may be emotionally distressed, so this is urgent.”

Yet in a fresh appeal on Wednesday June 3, the family released a video appeal instead, urging the public to continue to spread information about their missing son.

The missing boy has been described by his parents as an 'experienced hiker'. (Facebook / Nancy Higginbotham)

In the video, Weston’s dad Keith said that the public's comments and shares on social media are leading them ‘closer and closer’ to finding him, adding: "We couldn't do it without everyone's support.”

Nancy also echoed the sentiment as she said social media had been ‘instrumental’ so far in getting the word out and ensuring every lead was explored thoroughly.

"Every time that you guys repost on social media, it's an opportunity for somebody in Japan to see it. That is our ultimate goal, is for people in Japan to see Weston's face so they could report back to us," she said.

Nancy also expressed what a ‘great kid’ her son is: "He has a heart of gold, and we all want him to come back safely.”

As the search now creeps closer to the one week mark, timing is critical to try and track down Weston, but Keith is confident that his son can and will be found safe and well.

"We're gonna find him because of everyone's help in posting and getting the word out, so we can find the person who is gonna find him,” he told the camera.

While social media has been helpful so far, it has also proven to be a double edged sword, with many people speculating about Weston’s disappearance rather than merely trying to help find him.

This led Nancy to shut down rumours and misconceptions about her son, as she took to Facebook on June 1 to write: “He is not detained from a [night] out partying. The police have confirmed this. Please, I beg you, be kind. I'm already in so much pain.”

Higginbotham and her husband travelled to Japan shortly after Weston vanished, and have actively been retracing his steps in the hopes of finding him, yet so far search efforts have been hampered by inclement weather as a typhoon swept through the region.

“My husband and I went last night with flashlights and headlamps and didn't get too far because we weren't prepared for the wildlife we encountered,” Nancy wrote on Tuesday. “If anyone wants to join us after the storm, I would be grateful.”