Auburn University Student Nancy Higginbotham Remains Missing in Japan – Family Urges Community Help

When Nancy Higginbotham boarded a train from Osaka to Kyoto on the evening of May 28, she probably expected a routine journey, not a nightmare that would leave her family scrambling for answers. The 20‑year‑old junior from Auburn University, who was in Japan on a semester‑long study‑abroad program, has not been seen since.

According to the Auburn Police Department, Nancy was last spotted near the Fushimi Inari shrine, a popular tourist spot where she was supposed to meet a fellow student for a cultural excursion. She never checked in with her host family, and attempts to reach her through her university’s emergency contacts have come up empty.

“We’re living in a sort of limbo,” says her mother, Karen Higginbotham, speaking through tears. “We keep asking the same question over and over – is she safe? Is she okay? If anyone saw her, we need to know.” The family has set up a crowdfunding page and is traveling to Japan to coordinate with local authorities.

Japanese police have launched a formal search, deploying officers to the surrounding neighborhoods and reviewing surveillance footage from nearby stations. So far, they have not released any definitive leads, but officials say they are treating the case as a missing‑person investigation, not a crime.

Friends back on campus recall Nancy as “curious, adventurous, and always up for a challenge.” She had planned to blog about her experiences in Kyoto, documenting the food, temples, and the language barrier she was learning to navigate. The sudden silence feels like a gaping hole for everyone who knew her.

If you happen to have any information – even something that seems trivial, like a photo of a group she might have been with, or a detail about a bus she may have taken – please contact the Auburn Police Department at (555) 123‑4567 or the Tokyo Metropolitan Police at 03‑1234‑5678. The family is grateful for any tip, no matter how small.