Optimised for connections I agree, but certainly not preferred for Tokyo based business travellers. A lot of wasted time on the trip and a lack of efficiency. A late evening overnight departure to Asia arriving in the early morning maximizes productivity- but not great for aircraft utilization or connections. Tokyo has always had suboptimal timing compared with Hong Kong or Taipei due to curfews at Narita. But as everyone has bad schedules its not a competitive disadvantage.