Kami 7
The term Kami 7 (God 7) describes the 7 most popular members among all 48-groups, AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, NGT48 and STU48. The term have its origins in Skirt, Hirari, when 7 members were chosen for Senbatsu.
Fans use the rankings of the Senbatsu Sousenkyo each year to determine the Kami 7 of that year. Even if some girls fall out of the top 7 in the Senbatsu Sousenkyo, they are still considered a Kami (examples: Itano Tomomi, Kojima Haruna, Takahashi Minami, and Shimazaki Haruka). The Kami 7 are not necessarily the front 7 girls of each AKB48 single, but the majority of them usually take center spots. Sometimes people consider an 8th girl and refer Kami 7 as Kami 8.
SNH48 Group have their own version of Kami 7, known as Top 7.
Kami 7 by Year
2009 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 13th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Maeda Atsuko (Team A)
- Oshima Yuko (Team K)
- Shinoda Mariko (Team A)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Takahashi Minami (Team A)
- Kojima Haruna (Team A)
- Itano Tomomi (Team K)
2010 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 17th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Oshima Yuko (Team K)
- Maeda Atsuko (Team A)
- Shinoda Mariko (Team A)
- Itano Tomomi (Team K)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Takahashi Minami (Team A)
- Kojima Haruna (Team A)
2011 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 22nd Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Maeda Atsuko (Team A)
- Oshima Yuko (Team K)
- Kashiwagi Yuki (Team B)
- Shinoda Mariko (Team A)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Kojima Haruna (Team A)
- Takahashi Minami (Team A)
2012 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 27th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Oshima Yuko (Team K)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Kashiwagi Yuki (Team B)
- Sashihara Rino (Team A)
- Shinoda Mariko (Team A)
- Takahashi Minami (Team A)
- Kojima Haruna (Team A)
2013 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 32nd Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Sashihara Rino (HKT48 Team H)
- Oshima Yuko (Team K)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team A)
- Kashiwagi Yuki (Team B)
- Shinoda Mariko (Team A)
- Matsui Jurina (SKE48 Team S)
- Matsui Rena (SKE48 Team E)
2014 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 37th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Sashihara Rino (HKT48 Team H)
- Kashiwagi Yuki (Team B)
- Matsui Jurina (SKE48 Team S)
- Matsui Rena (SKE48 Team E)
- Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48 Team N)
- Shimazaki Haruka (Team A)
2015 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 41st Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Sashihara Rino (HKT48 Team H)
- Kashiwagi Yuki (Team B)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Takahashi Minami (Team A)
- Matsui Jurina (SKE48 Team S)
- Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48 Team N)
- Miyawaki Sakura (HKT48 Team KIV)
2016 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 45th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Sashihara Rino (HKT48 Team H)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Matsui Jurina (SKE48 Team S)
- Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48 Team N)
- Kashiwagi Yuki (Team B)
- Miyawaki Sakura (HKT48 Team KIV)
- Suda Akari (SKE48 Team E)
2017 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 49th Single Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Sashihara Rino (HKT48 Team H)
- Watanabe Mayu (Team B)
- Matsui Jurina (SKE48 Team S)
- Miyawaki Sakura (HKT48 Team KIV)
- Ogino Yuka (NGT48 Team NIII)
- Suda Akari (SKE48 Team E)
- Yokoyama Yui (Team A)
2018 (Based on the ranks of AKB48 53rd Single Sekai Senbatsu Sousenkyo)
- Matsui Jurina (SKE48 Team S)
- Suda Akari (SKE48 Team E)
- Miyawaki Sakura (HKT48 Team KIV)
- Ogino Yuka (NGT48 Team NIII)
- Okada Nana (Team 4)
- Yokoyama Yui (Team A)
- Muto Tomu (Team K)
Trivia
- In total, 17 members have been identified as Kami over the course of 9 Senbatsu Elections.
- The "AKB48 Next Generation" segment in AKBINGO! (Shown in 2013) considered Oshima Yuko, Watanabe Mayu, Kashiwagi Yuki, Sashihara Rino, Shinoda Mariko, Takahashi Minami, Kojima Haruna and Itano Tomomi as the 8 (Kami 8) 48-group "goddesses"
- Matsui Rena and Suda Akari are the only Kami 7 members to have never been members of AKB48.
- Watanabe Mayu is the only member who has been a part of Kami 7 for all Senbatsu Sousenkyo.