This might be wrong and is totally based on on my own meager knowledge of history, but it seems like a lot more ancient cities in the east survive to the current day compared to their western counterparts.
A lot of major ancient western cities such as Brundisium, Carthage, etc. are no longer inhabited, whereas cities such as Xiangyang, Tokyo, etc., are still populated and growing. A lot of these eastern cities were sacked and razed just as much as western ones, yet people never completely stopped living there.
Obviously, there are western cities which still exist such as Rome, and most cities are pretty old. But overall it seems like a lot more eastern cities have a history that goes back thousands of years and not just hundreds.
Is there any reason for this? Or am I misinterpreting things?
How do you mean? Both cities you list are inhabited today. Carthage is part of Tunis, which was established directly adjacent to the ancient site and absorbed it soon after. Brindisi is not only on the same spot but preserves the same name. And Toukyou is not particularly old. Edo Castle was only built in the late 15th Century and the town remained a little fishing village until the Tokugawa shoguns moved the capital there in 1603. It took another few decades for Edo to become a real city. You're looking a a very narrow field and you're not being informed about them particularly well