Many isolates of Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryzae collected from various districts of Japan in 1985 were tested for their virulence to the differential rice varieties. Two isolates of X. campestris pv. oryzae, H8581 and H8584, collected from Miyazaki Prefecture, showed a new virulence pattern different from known races. These two isolates were tested again to determine their virulence to many rice varieties of each varietal group. They were virulent to Kinmaze group rice varieties except for IR 24 and Milyang 23, to about half of all Kogyoku group varieties, and to Wase Aikoku and Java group varieties. On the other hand, these isolates were not virulent to the above two varieties of the Kinmaze group, Rantai Emas group and IRRI varieties and the other Kogyoku group varieties. We therefore proposed that these new pathogenic isolates, H8581 and H8584, should be hereafter designated as race VII. The resistance of rice variety Te-tep belonging to Rantai Emas group to race VII was governed by two dominant genes. The one of them was allelic to the known gene for race II, Xa-2, or linked very closely with it, while another was independent of the known resistant genes, Xa-1 and Xa-2. We also proposed that the latter dominant gene found in Te-tep should be designated as Xa-16. However, it will be necessary for further detailed studies on the former resistance gene for race VII.