What is "oishi"

Oishi may refer to:

• Oishi (company), a snack company from the Philippines
• Oishi Group, a chain of Japanese restaurants founded by Thai businessman Tan Passakornnatee
• Ōishi Station, a train station in Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
• 3379 Oishi (1931 TJ1), a main-belt asteroid discovered in 1931

Liwayway Holdings Company Limited, doing business as Oishi, is a snack company based in the Philippines. Its headquarters are in Pasay City in Metro Manila. As of 2013 it is headed by Carlos Chan (C: 施恭旗, P: Shī Gōngqí). Russell Flannery of Forbes wrote that "Oishi’s spelling looks a lot like the Japanese word for delicious, oishii."

Oishi, started in 1946 as Liwayway, was originally a family-owned corn starch repacking business. The name "Liwayway" was chosen because it reflected the optimism of the Philippines after World War II. By 1966, in addition to distributing starch, the company also was distributing basic commodities, coffee, and confectioneries. It was incorporated as the Liwayway Marketing Corporation (LMC) in 1966. Brothers Carlos and Manuel Chan, at the time, were behind the company. The parents of the Chan brothers had immigrated to the Philippines from Fujian Province, China. Carlos is the older brother. The company began distributing Oishi Prawn Crackers and Kirei Yummy Flakes in 1974. The company claims to have used Japanese technology to make the products.