Demolition on Tokyo's landmark Nakagin Capsule Tower will begin today, despite campaigns to get the grounds government protected.

The much-loved building consists of 144 capsules, each of which is just 10 square meters but features appliances and built-in furniture.

The tower was sold in 2007 by the owners' association to a property developer that intended to replace it, but the firm behind the deal filed for bankruptcy during the 2008 financial crisis.

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The ensuing uncertainty threw the site's future into years-long limbo before plans for demolition were decided. 

Preservationists included the building's architect, Kisho Kurokawa. Before his death in 2007, he appealed to the government to protect it.  

Petitions and campaigns have called for the structure to remain as an example of Japan's architectural heritage.

Many considered the tower one of the last-standing examples of Metabolism, an architectural movement that emerged after World War II that aimed to change the look of Japan's cities.

It had first been designed with plans to replace the capsules every 25 years, but most remain original and untouched.  

Most of the apartments now sit empty or are used for office space on a short-term basis.

One of the current owners, Tatsuyuki Maeda, has stated that a team will try to preserve some of the capsules and convert them into accommodation units and museum installations across the world.