Marine Gate in Shiogama

If you plan on taking the ferry to Matsushima or the Urato Islands, this place will come in handy as it is the ferry-port for the city of Shiogama. The four story building has a lot more to offer than just tickets and waiting spaces, though. On the first floor, the main entrance area opens into a room filled with vendors of local products and souvenirs as well as a small import shop specializing in goods from other south-east Asian countries. Also on the first floor is a lovely soba restaurant with cafeteria-style seating, specializing in maguro tuna wantons, made from the most famous fish in Shiogama. There are more restaurants on the second floor, including Blair Marina, a fairly classy sit-down eatery specializing in Italian-style food, albeit in a Japanese way. It might not be the fanciest place in town, but it is where the locals go for a mid-range night out and it does boast a great view of the harbor.
The third floor holds a few meeting rooms inside as well as one restaurant, but the bigger draw is the outdoor viewing deck, which offers another great ocean view. If you want an even more fantastic view of the bay, head up to the fourth floor. There you'll find a viewing deck complete with long-distance view-finders that charge 100 yen for a magnified view of the outlying islands. The deck itself is free to visit and well worth a short trip up the stairs or elevator.