The new rice variety 'Japonica 7' was created to grow well in tropical regions. It was developed by combining two other rice varieties in a cooperative breeding program. 'Japonica 7' takes about 111 days to grow from planting to harvest, similar to another variety called 'MS 11'. It has a medium resistance to certain diseases but is vulnerable to others. The rice grains are a good size and the yield is decent, especially in the Philippines where it was tested. Overall, 'Japonica 7' is a promising new rice variety for tropical areas.