Several questions on Verizon Messages

[SLOBIZMAN]

I am going to be in Japan for 3 weeks.  I have an iphone 6s.  I was looking for a way to deal with texting and I think Verizon Messages might be the answer.  I'd like to ask some questions about it.  I have already installed the app and registered my phone number.

1. Will I ever need to re-register the phone again while in Japan?  Since I would need to be able to receive a text to do so, this is an important question as I don't want to be stuck, unable to use it.

2. Will I be able to send and receive messages to/from anyone, whether iphone users or not, Verizon customers or not?

3. Does using V Messages impact my IOS messages in any way? Can I go back and forth at will, without any worry?

4. While in Japan can I turn off IOS messages temporarily, and just use V Messages, so I do not get any text messages though the normal IOS Messages system?  And if I want to, when in Wifi, simply turn IOS Messages back on? (Do I just in IOS Settings/Phone, use the on/off switch for this?

5. I only want to use this while in Japan, and go back to using IOS Messages when I get back to the US.  Will anything in my IOS Messages be lost or changed? When I remove V Messages once back, will it not remove any IOS messages?

Seems like a great way to text without incurring charges, as long as I do it only in wifi.

Thanks.