JR rail pass valid in Osaka subways?

Hi, Im staying in Osaka overnight after arriving from Kansai airport in Hotel Raizan. Im going to Ueno the next day and according to Hotel Raizan that I need to take a subway to Shin Osaka station. My question is the JR pass valid for subways or do I ned to purchase another ticket?

Jon,

is the JR pass valid for subways

No, they are not part of the JR network.

do I ned to purchase another ticket?

Yes.

you may be able to go from your hotel to the JR loop line or another line then go from JR Osaka to Shin-Osaka.

Is there some other sort of pass etc that should be used to get around Osaka to avoid having to buy individual tickets each time? preferably one that runs for 3 or 4 days and might enable travel to Nara, Kobe, Kyoto etc

You might not want a pass unless a pass will pay itself off. Otherwise a prepaid card version of surutto kansai would work. You often lose money on passes unless you really use them a lot.

Thanks John.
One more thing any idea how frequently train timetables get changed? I looked at a train to get me from Hakuba to Osaka on the 20/03/08 when I checked Hyperdia back in mid October I connected on a train from Matsumoto (Shinano10) at 11.42am, that train seem to no longer exist, this has thrown my itinerary out! is it pointless trying to sort it this early as it will only change again?

Schedules don't change that much, 2008 is still a ways out, but there is still a shinano train running a few minutes later.

Hi John, I cant see a Shinano around that time when I search Hyperdia. I just searched Matsumoto to Nagoya depture time 11:20 on the 20/03/08 then I looked at the book style timetable and it shows Shinano 4 at 09:01 and the next one not being Shinano 14 at 13:41 this is 2hrs after the original Shinano 10 at 11:42 which I was hoping to use.
Am I doing something wrong with my search?

1- by removing all the click marks at the bottom right and trying several start times I found trains at 10:19 and 12:00
by clicking on limited express I found trains at 10:42,11:42, 12:00. the trips all take 2 hrs plus only with thesetrains

Hi Red Frog,
I can see the 10:19 and 12:00 trains you mention but there not Shinano so rather than 2hrs take nearly 4 to do the journey to Nagoya. If played around with unticking and ticketing various parts but under no circumstances can I get the 11:42 train you seem able to find, (be it a Shinano or slower train)