I’ve recently decided to delve into Japanese history and I am looking for recommendations. I looked through the reading list and the only one I saw seems to focus more on the cultural developments. This is absolutely interesting to me but I’m looking for something that focuses more on the politics of the time. I could be wrong of course and it turns out it does talk about the politics of the time but I’d just like to be sure. Any recommendations are welcome and thanks in advance!
The best book I as a Japanologist can recommend to start with is Japan to 1600: A Social and Economic History by William Farris https://www.worldcat.org/title/japan-to-1600-a-social-and-economic-history/oclc/297407634
It discusses the period you are interested with a focus on politics, society and economy, and can be read without too much prior knowledge of Japan. So it is very much an introductionary book. You should be able to get it from any good bookstore/Amazon.
You might also try to look for Reischauer's Early Japanese History, c. 40 B. C.- A. D. 1167 . It is an older book first published before world war II. I don't think you can easily find it in a bookstore, but maybe in a good library. Another standard work is also of course the Cambridge History of Japan. Volume 1 deals with ancient Japan, and Volume 2 with the Heian Period, and Volume 3 up to mid 16th century.
An interesting book about politics & power in the period you are referring to, and especially the role of Buddhist temples in politics is The Gates of Power: Monks, Courtiers, and Warriors in Premodern Japan by Mikael Adolphson. https://www.worldcat.org/title/gates-of-power-monks-courtiers-and-warriors-in-premodern-japan/oclc/1058132598
Another good book on medieval Japanese society that is written by an academic but very readable and captivating without needing too much prior knowledge is The World Turned Upside Down: Medieval Japanese Society (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) by Pierre-Francois Soury: https://www.worldcat.org/title/world-turned-upside-down-medieval-japanese-society/oclc/717277195
A recent book I encountered is Heian Japan, Centers and Peripheries, that discusses the Heian period not only from cultural, but also political perspective. Honestly I haven't read it myself, but it is recent, has gotten some good academic reviews, and seems to fit your interests: https://www.amazon.com/Heian-Japan-Centers-Peripheries-Adolphson/dp/0824892348
I hope this is enough to get you started.