By "direct", I mean if the war atrocities (specifically 1937-45) were ever directly cited as a reason for bad relations between China and Japan.
From my understanding, it seems more of a cultural issue than a political one. Especially after 1949, when the Chinese government changed completely.
While I cannot speak with authority on the subject (my dissertation is on 14th-15th century China), I can recommend an excellent book that discusses it.
Barack Kushner, Men to Devils, Devils to Men: Japanese War Crimes and Chinese Justice, Harvard University Press, 2015.