First of all, thank you guys so much for all the information in this thread. I'm visiting Tokyo for the first time in five years in December and January, and this has all been a massive help.

One question: returning to the conversation about Sawada reservations, is there any way to know in advance exactly when reservations will become available on Omakase? I read the post that said it's usually Friday around 3pm JST, but do you just need to keep checking the website? Or is there some kind of announcement made in advance? I ask because I'll still be on EST when trying to book the first week of my trip, so knowing exactly when to pounce on the reservation page would be incredibly helpful.

Also, am I correct in saying that Omakase is truly the only way to lock in reservations at Sawada/Amamoto/Sugita? Are there any services (even prohibitively expensive ones) that will handle the bookings for you with a high degree of success? I'm down to blow a ton of money on my first Japan trip in 5 years, and it seems things have changed w/r/t the power of a good hotel concierge. Has nothing surfaced to take their place?