All religions encourage gifts. From Catholic prayer boxes to Protestant collection plates, from the donation repositories of Islam to the coffers of Buddhism, the giving of gifts is one of the more common attributes of sacred belief.
In this plethora of donation, however, Shinto stands out as particularly involved. This may be because there are so many gods to be satisfied. There are over 100,000 shrines in the country and the kami (gods) who live in their environs number some 8 million.
Another reason might be that gift-giving was early inculcated. Japanese give presents to each other at a rate that can seem almost excessive. Not only is there the mid-year habit of giving chugen (summer gifts), but there is that other, larger occasion just coming up: seibo, the giving of gifts at New Year's. Stores sell gift boxes, companies send presents or coupons, and those not rating a gift still get a card -- those nengajo (New Year's cards) that yearly clog the posts.