The best friend of a missing 20-year-old has shared the final texts he sent to him before the Alabama student was found dead.

James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham had been traveling round the Kyoto area of Japan with his family last month. He went out exploring on his own on May 29 and the Auburn University student was spotted at Kyoto Station on his own before disappearing.

After days of public appeals and searches, Weston’s mom, Nancy Higginbotham, shared a heartbreaking update on Thursday (6 June).

She wrote on Facebook: “Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto. The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.

“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.”

Nancy continued to share: “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. The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives.”

She proceeded to say that they’d shared Weston’s story with the media with the hopes of it helping them locate their missing son. Now, in wake of his death, they have asked for privacy.

Nancy concluded the post: “Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. We will need them now more than ever. We will always love you, Weston.”

Weston was being tracked by his family on the Life30 app, but shortly after they text him to ask where he was going his location services were turned off. His mom had said this was out of character for him, per CNN.

At the time, Nancy penned on social media: “He may be emotionally distressed, so this is urgent. We are living in our own hell. 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.”

Weston’s parents had pledged to remain in Japan until their 20-year-old son is found.

In the days leading up to him going missing, Weston and his family met up with his friend Hiyu Shikari.

Hiyu went to school with Weston in the US before he relocated to Japan. He met up with the Higginbotham family on May 22 in Tokyo.

Speaking to The US Sun, Hiyu shared: “We had such a great time at a restaurant in Shinjuku, which is in Tokyo.

“Right after that, I tried to contact him on how he was doing in Kyoto, because I was in Kyoto a couple of weeks ago, and also the typhoon was coming as I was kind of worried, and I messaged him, ‘How’s the trip going?’ And that was after he went missing. And so I didn’t get any contact with him after I met him.”

Hiyu added: “I’ve been doing what I can to spread awareness.”

Weston’s friend shared screenshots of his last messages to him with the news outlet.

His final text to Weston read: “Good evening! How’s the stay going? Hopefully yall are having a good time in Kyoto! Lmk [Let me know] if you need me to recommend you any places [sic].”

The text did not say if it had been successfully delivered to Weston’s phone.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email info@grievewell.com.

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.

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.”

The wife of a fisherman who went missing with his uncle has revealed a theory she feels explains the disappearance of both men.

Randall Spivey, 57, and Brandon Billmaier, 33, vanished during a fishing trip in Fort Meyers, Florida, and authorities have described the circumstances as unusual.

The uncle and nephew pair were last seen on December 19, but never returned to land after taking off.

They were reported overdue to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 8 pm and a rescue expedition then got underway.

Around midnight that same night, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted their boat, named unstoppable, adrift and still in gear about 70 miles west of Fort Meyers. Neither men were anywhere on board.

Brandon’s wife, Deborah has spoken to local media and revealed a theory regarding what could have happened to the pair. She also revealed the last text she received from her partner.

ABC affiliate WPBF reported that Brandon sent the message: “I love you, and I’ll see you tonight. I’ll be back home tonight.”

Regarding the fate of the pair, Deborah said that the Coast Guard believe one of the men likely fell over board with the other leaping in after him, not realizing that the engine was still running.

She said: “So they jumped in the water, and the boat was still going, kept moving away from them.

“There was no way the two men could catch up to the moving 42-foot boat.”

Following the disappearance of the pair, Deborah has also reflected on her sweet relationship with her husband.

She said: “Our love story, it’s pretty incredible we met in 2020.

“From the moment I first met him, the way he speaks, carries himself, talks about others, cares about others, it’s just something indescribable.”

The family have also released a statement following the decision to call off the lengthy and vast search for the pair.

In part, it read: “There is the highest degree of confidence that if Randy and Brandon were on the surface of the water, they would have been found. With that understanding, the Coast Guard has advised the family that as of sundown today, the active search must be suspended. While this is heartbreaking, the family is certain this is the correct decision and holds the deepest respect, gratitude, and acceptance for it.

“… This is incredibly difficult for the family and for everyone hoping for a different outcome. We respectfully ask that the decision to suspend the search be honored, both from a professional agency standpoint and from a volunteer standpoint.

“The family asks for your compassion, understanding, and support during this unimaginably difficult time. We love you all.”

For a few fleeting weeks each spring, hotspots across Japan transform into a sea of soft pink as cherry blossoms bloom, for a period known as sakura season.

Parks, rivers and entire city streets are lined in gorgeous pastel, and it’s every bit as magical as it looks online.

Seeing it for myself had been on my bucket list for years, so last spring I finally made it happen, spending three incredible weeks traveling around Japan to catch the famous blossoms in bloom.

And judging by the crowds, I’m far from the only one with that dream. Every year, more than 60 million people travel across the country to catch a glimpse.

According to the latest forecast from the Japan National Tourism Organization, this year’s sakura are expected to bloom from as early as March 20 in Fukuoka in the south, around March 21 in Tokyo and March 24 in Osaka, stretching all the way to May 10 in Kushiro up north.

But while the flowers might be what first draws visitors in, there’s far more to the country than cherry blossom season alone.

And while my three-week trip was unforgettable, not everything went exactly to plan.

So if you’re heading to Japan for cherry blossom season – or honestly, any time of year – here are a few lessons you can learn from me.

Don’t pre-book a Mount Fuji tour if you want guaranteed pictures

One of the main draws of visiting Tokyo is catching a glimpse of the iconic Mount Fuji.

When planning my itinerary in advance, I was desperate to include a multi-stop trip to admire the mountain from a range of stunning backdrops.

In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t bothered.

Obviously, no one can control the weather, and our tour guide must have sensed our cynicism as we loaded onto the coach on a dull, cloudy morning.

He checked the weather app and told us Mount Fuji had ‘100 percent visibility,’ probably in a bid to boost our spirits.

While it was great to see some different sites, Mount Fuji wasn’t exactly one of them. In fact, our best photo of Mount Fuji was taken sitting on the coach in between stops – and it’s not even that great.

A few days later, I made friends at a Golden Gai bar and was jealous to see their pristine views of Fuji taken on a clear, sunny day.

On my next visit, I won’t lock myself into a tour day weeks in advance.

Instead, I’ll just keep an eye on the forecast and head to a good viewpoint when the weather’s actually clear – and I’d recommend you do the same.

Know what to book for – and what to leave room for

Japan is one of those places where you can plan endlessly and still feel like you’ve missed something.

While a Mount Fuji tour is something I wish I hadn’t locked in weeks ahead, there were other experiences I missed precisely because I didn’t plan far enough in advance.

Sometimes you just can’t win!

For example, we kept seeing adverts for real Sumo matches but never actually committed to going. The same goes for a traditional Japanese matcha tea ceremony, something I’d vaguely assumed we could book on the fly, only to realize most of them were fully booked weeks ahead.

Then there were the smaller things I somehow just… walked past.

I regret not stepping into one of the countless arcades we kept seeing on most street corners, even if they’re not always worth the hype.

Like the Sumo wrestling, we added it to our mental ‘to-do’ list and just never actually did it.

That said, some bookings worked out perfectly. We didn’t manage to get sunset tickets for Shibuya Sky, the viewpoint at the top of the iconic Shibuya Scramble crossing, but even in the daytime, it was a highlight.

The view over the Tokyo skyline is breathtaking, and we got lucky this time with clear weather.

We also booked a trip to Kyoto’s viral Macho Bar, an intentionally over-the-top spot where muscular men serve your food and drinks while flexing, posing and blasting dramatic music. It’s a total gimmick, but still chaotic, hilarious and impossible not to enjoy.

One of my favorite moments, however, happened completely by accident.

We wandered into Tokyo’s Ueno Park on a Friday afternoon and realized we’d stumbled straight into a sakura festival, complete with food stalls, live music, and people picnicking under the cherry blossoms. It was an incredible experience.

That’s the balance most vacations require, but particularly Japan; book the things that truly require it, but leave enough space for the unexpected.

The spontaneous moments are often the ones you remember most.

Don’t fumble your favorite artist

This one still annoys me.

While I was traveling through Osaka, I realized too late that my favorite DJ, Alison Wonderland, was playing a set in the city that very night.

She’d only announced the show a few weeks prior, which I’d missed amid my last-minute vacation scramble.

I mean, just what were the chances!? My favorite artist, who’s based in the US, happening to play in the very city I, usually based in the UK, was visiting for four days of a three-week long trip?

Sadly, I was unable to buy tickets the day of the gig. But if I’d realized even 12 hours earlier, I absolutely could’ve secured some and gone.

Next time you’re abroad, check what shows are happening locally. You might get absurdly lucky like I almost did.

Don’t get lost in translation

Japan is incredibly welcoming, but the language barrier can still catch you out, and my high-school level Japanese didn’t exactly cut it.

Later in the trip, a lovely Uber driver told us all about his life and Japanese pop culture via an app called VoiceTra.

It translates speech in real time and made conversations so much easier.

It would’ve saved us some awkward moments on the metro and while out shopping.

The app translates between different languages, too, so it’s useful beyond Japan.

Spend more time than you think you’ll need in Tokyo

If anything, my biggest regret is not making more time for Tokyo.

We spent a whole week there, but it still wasn’t enough.

The city is just endless. Food, bars, tiny hidden spots everywhere, and not to mention shopping at the department store Shibuya 109.

You could spend weeks there and still find new things.

Then again, I suppose that’s to be expected of a city as huge as Tokyo.

Places like Golden Gai’s famous bar strip alone deserve multiple nights. Every bar has its own personality, and half the fun is simply wandering into somewhere random and seeing what happens.

One of my favorite spots ended up being MC Masa’s bar, which had an incredible atmosphere and was the perfect place to strike up conversations with people from all over the world. And to sample some top sake, let’s not forget…

Tokyo also has so many things beyond the usual tourist checklist – like the arcades, sumo events, and countless niche attractions that you only discover once you’re there.

By comparison, I almost wish we’d spent a little less time in Osaka. It’s still a great city and it worked brilliantly as a base for visiting places like Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Nara Deer Park.

But as someone who isn’t massively food-focused when traveling, I probably didn’t get the absolute most out of it. Your mileage may vary, though, especially if you’re a big foodie.

Final thoughts

Despite the slight regrets, Japan was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken.

Even the things I ‘missed’ just feel like reasons to go back.

Japan is certainly one of those destinations that requires more than one visit.

And that’s the beauty of traveling, after all; figuring things out as you go and using them to inform your next trip…