is a major north-south national highway on the Sea of Japan side of the island of Honshà «, Japan. It traverses four prefectures, with Niigata at its southern end, then Yamagata, Akita, and finally, Aomori at its northern end. The long highway begins at an intersection with national routes 8, 17, 113, 116, 289, 350, and 402 in the capital of Niigata, Niigata. Travelling north, the highway links the prefectural capitals Akita and Aomori. In central Aomori the highway ends at the northern terminus of National Route 4 and National Route 45.
The main line of National Route 7 has a length of . When bypasses signed as National Route 7 are included, its total distance increases to . The highway's origin and southern terminus lies in Chuo-ku, Niigata at junction with national routes 8, 17, 113, 116, 289, 350, and 402. The highway passes through Shibata, Murakami, Tsuruoka, Sakata, Yurihonjà Â, Akita, Noshiro, à Âdate, and Hirosaki. Its endpoint and northern terminus lies in Aomori at a junction with national routes 4 and 45.
What eventually became National Route 7 between Aburakawa-juku in present-day Aomori and Tsuchizakiminato-juku in Akita was established during the Edo period by Tokugawa Ieyasu as the Ushà « Hama Kaidà  and Ushà « Kaidà Â, subroutes of the à Âshà « Kaidà Â.
National Route 7 was established by the Cabinet of Japan roughly along the aforementioned section of the Ushà « Kaidà  as well as a new road south to Niigata on 4 December 1952 as First Class National Highway 7 between Niigata and Aomori. Its designationation was changed to General National Highway 7 on 1 April 1965.
All junctions listed are at-grade intersections unless noted otherwise.