Many Japanese stoves come with a small built-in fish grill. This is not simply a miniature version of a large oven. It is better understood as a separate cooking tool designed to grill fish quickly and well.
In Japan, households do not often cook large roasts or other dishes that require a full-size oven as part of everyday meals. Grilling one or two pieces of fish is much more common. A fish grill places the heat close to the food, so the surface can become crisp while excess fat drips away. It also cooks relatively quickly.
But Japan’s fondness for fish is not the only reason. Many Japanese kitchens simply do not have much space for a large oven. More importantly, using a large oven as part of everyday cooking has never been especially common in many homes.
For dishes such as gratin and other baked foods, a microwave oven that also has baking functions is often enough. So for many households, the issue is not that they are missing a large oven and struggling without one. They simply do not expect to need a separate large oven in the first place.
Of course, not everyone uses the fish grill even if their stove has one. The grill cooks fish very well, but cleaning the rack and tray afterward can be a hassle. Some people cook fish in a frying pan instead. Whether the grill is also used for mochi, vegetables, or other foods depends on the household.
The reason Japanese stoves often include a fish grill rather than a large oven is therefore a combination of limited kitchen space and everyday cooking habits. In a smaller kitchen, it makes sense to build in a compact tool for something people are likely to cook regularly.
So it is a little misleading to think, “Japanese kitchens do not have a proper oven.” A fish grill is not a poor substitute for a large oven. It is a tool that fits the size of Japanese homes and the way many people actually cook.
