Autumn Needle plucking and bud selection is a very time consuming job for the bonsai enthusiast; ... BUT spare a thought for gardeners in Japan who perform these tasks on large, full grown street trees in Kyoto. !!
I was gob-smacked to see people on ladders in the streets of Kyoto, in 2016, working on such a scale. !!!   I will never complain about this job ever again !!!