[shiroiushi]

True, and it generally has better amenities than a hotel too: a kitchen (though tiny), fridge, microwave, stove (no oven though), clothes washer, maybe a vacuum, etc. Also importantly, a mailbox, so you can receive deliveries (and in newer places, there's an automated delivery box system).

[themaninthedark]

They have ovens...just super tiny and meant for fish only https://www.yamada-denkiweb.com/category/202/006/001/

[shiroiushi]

Those are "grills". If you want to bake stuff, you can get real ovens, but they're fairly small, and not built into the apartment, and usually combined with a microwave oven. Any decent appliance store sells them for around 30,000 yen. You're not going to cook a turkey in it, but if you want to bake a small cake it's perfect.

[themaninthedark]

Yes, they are meant for grilling fish but they can be the world's tiniest oven if you believe enough(or just use a thermometer probe for temperature adjustment!)

My recollection of the countertop oven is that it would fit half a small size turkey...for we did do that one year.

[tayo42]

> stove (no oven though)

Maybe I'm misremembering but I thought that was typical for Japanese homes?

[shiroiushi]

Yes, unlike Americans who apparently absolutely need to bake a whole turkey on a regular basis, Japanese don't normally bake stuff at home, so Japanese homes (at least in the big cities) don't normally come with built-in ovens. There's no space in Tokyo apartments for the comically-large ovens that are common in America, and the cuisine people make here doesn't normally need one, just a stovetop. For baked goods, people usually just buy them at the grocery store or bakery or other specialty shop.