Factbox-Who could replace Ishiba as Japan's prime minister

FILE PHOTO: Japanese lawmaker Sanae Takaichi speaks at a news conference to announce her running in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race to succeed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo, Japan, September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - The list of possible candidates to become Japan's next prime minister grew following Shigeru Ishiba's resignation as prime minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The next LDP president is no longer guaranteed to become premier as the ruling coalition has lost its majorities in both chambers of parliament. There is a slim possibility an opposition party leader takes the helm of the world's fourth-largest economy.