As Bridgestone Gallery grew in fame and status, many foreign artists and art connoisseurs began visiting the Gallery. But among all the visitors, it was the visit in 1960 of Mr and Mrs Andre Malraux that moved Shojiro the most. Respected art critic and former French Minister of Culture, Mr Malraux was also a novelist renowned for his works including "Man's Fate" ("La Condition Humaine").

After examining the works of art carefully one by one, Mr Malraux said, "Invaluable world gems are lined up in the collection. The French Government deeply appreciates Shojiro's contribution toward introducing French culture by founding such an amazing museum and opening the great collection to the public, not keeping them in his private vault."

In June 1960, the French Government decorated Shojiro with the Order of the Legion d'Honneur.

By 1962, ten years after its opening, the Bridgestone Gallery as it held its 450th Saturday Lecture on Art, recorded more than one million visitors. The Gallery's cultural standing was on the rise.

In the same year, Mr. Bernard Dorival, curator of the Musee National d'Art Modern de Paris, bestowed the collection in the Bridgestone Gallery a great honor by his request below,

"We would like to propose that a special exhibition of the Ishibashi Collection be organized at the Musee National d'Art Modern de Paris. Could you lend a part of your collection for about two months? All the ensuing expenses will be covered by the French side."

Shojiro consented graciously to the request. "La Peinture Francaise de Corot a Braque dans la Collection Ishibashi de Tokyo" was opened during the optimal viewing season in Paris in May, lasting for 50 days. The exhibition of 50 works by French artists from Camille Corot to Georges Bracque, from the Ishibashi Collection received many accolades.

Le Monde, a leading French newspaper, reported, "The Ishibashi Collection must surely be one of the foremost French art collections. It was a surprise and a joy, through this exhibition, to realize what prestigious ambassadors represent France in the Bridgestone Museum of Art." ("Ce fut une surprise et une joie pour la critique que de decouvrir, par cette exposition, quels prestigieux ambassadeurs repesentaient la France dans le Musee Bridgestone: maints articles en temoignet, qui paruret a cette occasion dans la presse francaise.")

The International Biennial Exhibition held in Venice, Italy, is the world's oldest and most renowned international festival of modern and contemporary art for all nations to showcase their cultural works.

Japan had been attending the prestigious Venice Biennale since its 26th festival in 1952. However, Japan had been hitherto merely submitting its works of art, while more than twenty nations had built their own national pavilions designed by their foremost architects, in the Castello Gardens in Venice where the festival is held.

For a long time, Japan's Foreign Ministry had not been able to respond to the request by the committee of the International Biennial Exhibition in Venice to build its own pavilion because of the lack of financial resources.

As the 1956 International Biennial Exhibition in Venice approached, the Committee gave notice to Japan's Foreign Ministry that it would relinquish the lot allocated to Japan to other countries unless Japan submitted concrete proposals and plans to build its pavilion by the summer of 1956.

The Foreign Ministry negotiated unsuccessfully with the Finance Ministry over its budget proposal for the construction of the pavilion. Following its failed proposal, the Foreign Ministry asked the private sector to step forward and contribute towards securing the best place for giving the world exposure to Japanese culture.

Shojiro responded willingly to the Foreign Ministry's request in 1955 and cut the ribbon the following summer at the opening ceremony of the Japanese pavilion he had donated. The pavilion, designed by Takamasa Yoshizaka was paid a visit by the Italian President within a few days of its opening.

The Italian Government decorated Shojiro with the Order of Grande Ufficiale dell'ordine al Merito della Republica Italiana in 1961 for his contribution toward cultural exchange between Japan and Italy.