Police say the severed head found on a Japanese mountainside could be that of a missing college student.

Investigators in Hiroshima Prefecture told the Kyodo news service the head's facial features resemble those of 19-year-old Miyako Hiraoka, a freshman at the University of Shimane who vanished Oct. 26.

The grisly find was made by a mushroom collector Friday near the summit of Mount Garyu. No blood or personal effects were found, leading police to believe the body had been dismembered elsewhere.

Kyodo said Saturday police in Matsue would use DNA to determine if the remains are indeed those of the missing woman.