Former allies and the lasting memory of Japanese captivity

Why did British attitudes toward Japan remain bitter even after official and commercial relations recovered?

The experience of prisoners of war created a powerful public memory of mistreatment, sharpened by the sense that a former ally had betrayed earlier trust.

Official and commercial relations could recover because both governments still had reasons to trade and cooperate. Public attitudes changed more slowly after British prisoners returned with memories of harsh Japanese captivity. The earlier Anglo-Japanese alliance sharpened the sense of betrayal because Japan had once been treated as a respected partner. Veterans and their families carried those experiences into postwar society. Diplomatic normalization therefore did not immediately produce personal reconciliation.