Widebody; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
On initial climb out from RJAA on Cupid 2; requested hi-speed climb below 10;000 feet from Departure Control.  Controller responded with what we thought was 'No speed restriction'. We queried controller to verify high-speed/no speed restriction.  Controller responded with 'OK; no speed restriction' and we acknowledged this clearance.  After being handed off to Tokyo Control; the controller asked about our speed.  We told him that we had been cleared to climb with 'No speed restrictions' by previous controller.  He came back on frequency a minute later saying that we had not been cleared for a high-speed climb.Understanding English language is a real problem from ramp; to ground; to tower; to inflight.  We were three experienced RJAA flyers and still had problem.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
Pilots departing RJAA report requesting a high speed climb below 10;000 feet. The request was approved by Departure Control. The next Controller asks about the aircrafts speed and the crew tells them that they were approved for a no speed restriction climb. The Controller responds that they had not been approved for the high speed climb.