In breaking into Japan's rough-and-tumble, dog-eat-dog donut market, where brands big and small fight to foist their fare upon confectionary-savvy consumers, a giant donut doesn’t hurt.

“Everyone loves pictures of themselves with the big donut,” said Mark Kelegian, president and CEO of Randy’s Donuts, a U.S. company that recently signed a Japanese franchise deal for up to 50 outlets in the country.

The donut in question is a 32-foot diameter sculpture that sits atop the Randy’s Donuts location in Inglewood, which is in Los Angeles County.