I live in Japan, so those are readily available.

What is, however, in short supply is countertop acreage. :)

My kettle lives on a somewhat high shelf on a gorilla rack... because that's the only place I can put it.

Can these truly making boiling water? I found kettles I've used in Japan didn't make the water hot enough to make a cup of tea.

Aside from instant noodles or soup, I would be hard pressed to think of a food-related use for kettles in Japan that isn’t making tea. Maybe you were using the wrong setting? Lots of Japanese tea isn’t meant to be made with boiling water, so it'll warm the water to ~just below boiling.